


SAY10 (Days)

by ArtificialTVirus



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anal Sex, Angst and Drama, Angst and Tragedy, Blood As Lube, Blood and Gore, Bondshipping, Broken Bones, Cannibalism, Canon Compliant, Canon Rewrite, Character Death, Coma, Disturbing Themes, Dominance, Drama, Heavy Angst, Hospitals, Identity Issues, Insanity, Loss, Loss of Identity, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Masochism, Mental Anguish, Mental Breakdown, Obsession, Other, Physical Abuse, Power Play, Rape/Non-con Elements, Sad, Sad Ending, Sadism, Starts from Gx Fusion Episode, Torture, Tragic Romance, Triggers, cursing, forced penetration
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:28:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 7
Words: 24,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25669702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArtificialTVirus/pseuds/ArtificialTVirus
Summary: He never asked for consent. Never bothered to care. And now, fusing would solve all their problems to make their story a happy-ever-after. Simple, and so very, very easy.Or maybe it would all take a  little more realistic approach.
Relationships: Johan Andersen | Jesse Anderson/Yubel, Johan Andersen | Jesse Anderson/Yubel Johan Andersen | Yubel Jesse Anderson
Comments: 12
Kudos: 13
Collections: Yu-Gi-Oh! Big Bang 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> ty to artists n madi b
> 
> this one had 200% effort put into it, proudest one yet, so lmk how it was  
> edit: here's the links from the artists, check them outttt, they did an awesome job and I love them both 
> 
> https://mayhem-rain.tumblr.com/post/626111936774438912/for-my-unexpected-ygo-big-bang-2020-collaboration & https://twitter.com/insomniacxt/status/1293086151499161601?s=20
> 
> send them luv

“I’ve WON!! Your world is no more!”

The face. The face of so much agony.

“You and I will finally be together forever!”

And then the reply. The denial of the inevitable once more.

_Why_ did he keep trying?!

Yet he explained that question. The counter trap, to the trap. How stupid.

But then he said it.

_It._

_What was that._

Fuse? _Them?_

“I get it Yubel,”

Got _what?_ He got _nothing._

“You started off on the right path, but you lost your way,”

 _Lost way?_ The way was through pain – always has been, always will be. _It damn well knew its own way._

“You were alone,”

Loneliness. Yes. Even that androgynous voice heard itself perk up and repeat the words.

“So alone…”

For so long.

And then that ancient boy from back then – _he_ spoke up. The memories of his appearance, the promise, all of that happening in front of its very own two-colored pair of eyes.

The small figure. The young prince. Him. Haou—

“The Supreme King and The Guardian will be the same spirit!”

**_What._ **

No.

_No!_

All of that fighting, all that freedom, all that _pain_ and waiting; - all of that to see Him, and _this_ was the result?! To be _fused?_ To lose all that independence and hard work? To be _enslaved_ by some _teenager_ boy who happened to be His reincarnation?

Nonono. That wouldn’t be happening. There was too much now. It was too late.

“Don’t know what that means for me, but let’s find out,”

No. NO.

“I activate, Super Polymerization! And I fuse my spirit with Yu--!”

“Don’t you _DARE-!"_

The tears. The emotions. All was there. It was so much, _too much._

The Ultimate Nightmare; - its own form – dissolved. Gone. Going into the card, and inside the boy. Its own appearance was disappearing, and the fiend watched it happen in slowed time.

Not like this. _Not like this._

“I won’t LET YOU!!”

And when the leftover remnants of its very representation faded, the spirit’s soul – what was left of Yubel itself, fled. It fled that sparkly little blob of life left, out of the duel, out of the sky, and back down.

“YOU WILL NOT CONFINE ME JADEN! IT’S TOO LATE!”

Down, down, and _down_ into those accursed green eyes widening before the force slammed right into him.

“No!! Yubel!”

Somewhere above, the voice yelled; hovering and descending down from the sky platform.

But it didn’t matter. None of it mattered.

“I’ll make you suffer as you did me! You want your precious little _‘friend’?!_ Come and GET HIM!”

He _was_ too late. He _would be,_ and Yubel made sure of it.

* * *

Black. Void. Endless, endless dark and utter nothingness that ushered silence. It seemed as if even sound was forbidden, and that would be true too, but then…

_Clank._

And then another.

_Cling._

No. There _was_ sound. Some sort – a very loud one. As if something kept hitting the crystalized walls, forcing its echo out. Each hit shot a heavy throb to his head.

Followed with silence again, only for a moment.

And then the hits picked right back up, the gentle face twitching its features. 

As if the little knocks were aimed right at his forehead, thwacking over and over at the same spot with equal strength put in them, until red would form.

As if they _were_ in his head.

As if he felt it all tied a little too close for the example words.

What…?

No. Whatever door that thought threatened to open was closed right back off. In fact, the consistent flickering on the glass was becoming even alluring.

Too loud, too mute; — too _intruding,_ yet just perfect.

Perfect to fade back his consciousness into even deeper pits of emptiness beyond this.

Because this was only his mind, wasn’t it?

* * *

_“Tch,”_

Another hit and it forever remained the same. No breaking, no _nothing_. No matter not how hard claws—

_Claws._

_“If only…”_

_Fingers,_ scratched, the sturdy crystal wouldn’t break. No matter; it’s what surrounded one’s appeared mind. Mirrors, crystals, shadows, they were all illusions created by one’s virtue. They could break. They _would_ break, and the knowledge of exactly how was right in that hand’s clutch. They could break, once _he_ broke. And they had all the time in the world for that here.

Yet, the mirrored reflection kept showing that same face. It reflected the _skin_ on the hand, the _normality_ on the flesh, and deep in the blurred background;

The face.

The teal hair, the human face, the body’s muscle;

All that was leftover were the eyes. The only remnant of _what_ was to be called ‘Yubel’, and all the hurt that ferocious gaze held. Just those eyes. Now both orange and bright, dissolved of the last shroud of humanity that one azure-green had.

He took even that.

He took _everything._

The form, the image, all the _pain._ He took it _all._ So much anger built aimed in that particular direction, and he _stole_ it. Stole it for himself, and left only the name and those eyes. Was that supposed to keep that same persona together? So many changes ever since, so many centuries and _lies — bold_ transformations into _this_ and _that;_

Was that short little name still what kept that small form from back then together?

Even now, when all memory of it was permanently gone. When there was no ‘Yubel’ and ‘Terror Incarnate’ and ‘Ultimate Nightmare’.

When the permanent skin worn would forever be that boy’s.

Was it?

* * *

“You need to get some rest, I promise I'll call you if there’s even the slightest change,”

But even she knew there would be no convincing the sitting duelist.

“No… I can’t, it’s my fault he’s like this,”

“Please don’t blame yourself,” Professor Fonda, the headmistress of the Blue Dorm and the school’s nurse; only one capable of tending to the comatose teen, tried again, with a voice careful to the comfort. “We all know what has been happening with the school… You did so much Jaden,”

“Yet I still lost my best friend…”

A low sigh in the background, and his teacher reached to gently pat the brown hair.

“Jesse is still here,” A motherly hand extended to take his own, placing both of them where the unconscious male’s heart is. “And he’s fighting, which means you have to fight for him too!” 

That's what made the chocolate eyes lower, saddening even further as Jaden slowly closed his fingers, as if cupping the beating heart in his grasp would make the other wake up.

“Jesse… I’m so sorry I messed up this bad…” Grieving and grieving until a small tear escaped the soft melting brown. “…Come on pal, you gotta wake up…!”

And then another, and another. Many more came and the professor hugged the smaller form crying out pleas for the other.

But none of it ever reached. Not even the last of the sobs ending in a hopelessly desperate;

“…Please…”


	2. Chapter 2

Open. _Open._

They shot open. Finally. _Finally._

He got them to open. At last, those sounds could be visualized.

_“…unh…”_

Another sound. This time, his own. It was as loud as the rest; — _too loud._ This was a world of silence, not meant for groans and whines.

Yet here they were, some more of them even.

_“Where…?”_

Black. 

Not fully, but what wasn’t blue — was black. And what _wasn’t_ black were the blue crystals surrounding the emptiness. They immediately reminded of that accursed knocking sound, and explained what was being hit in the first place. The crystals. Someone, or something, was clubbing them, and their dreaded echo radiated cruelly across the relaxing mind.

Though there was no sound, and certainly not anyone else here now. Briefly, thoughts went back to what it could have been then. From what looked familiar, this _should_ be one’s headspace. His own, in fact. Lest someone else shared the appearance of his mind and he somehow ended up in _their_ _s_ , but that seemed unlikely. 

There would be no sense for that. They were in the middle of dueling Yubel and saving the world, inner monologuing didn’t seem fitting to happen now.

And speaking of duels and world saving;

_“Did Jay win?!”_ The duel! - It wasn’t over yet. _“I gotta see what happened!”_

A light appeared. The light to leave, to wake up;

_“Can’t waste time here…!”_

Finding the determination was easy enough, Jesse was up and on his two feet running towards the bright ray to help and fight.

But the fight he would be needing to do wouldn’t be Jaden’s, or anyone else’s for that matter.

_“Woke up, have we?”_

It would be his own.

_“—kh!”_ Those muscles were never for show, contrary to the soft personality. But then again, _this one_ didn’t have that soft personality, if the forming bruise on the cheek was anything to show. _“Yubel!”_

 _“Yubel…”_ The other hummed his own name aloud, as if it was now far too foreign of a word. _“Do I look like a 'Yubel_ ’ _to you?”_

Though Jesse stood his ground, scratching at the remaining blood from his lips initiated by the power of the blow.

“ _Last time I saw myself in the mirror, gonna have to say no!”_

Oh. Wasn’t that just _funny._ Because of the _new image,_ was it? Jesse Anderson _wasn’t_ a draconic freak of nature, who knew!

 _“Why don’t you go ahead and blame your_ 'best friend' _for that one,”_

But well, _he_ wasn’t one anymore either. Those things were gone. Finally. _Finally;_ the last bits of the transformation would be erased, and there would be a form to be called _own_ again. Not really the best choice out there, but in the heat of the moment? Seemed better than being swallowed out of existence.

_“What are you on about--?”_

_“Ah, forget it! Didn’t come back here to chat with you,”_

_“Yeah, the punch gave that away…”_ Jesse’s voice murmured back, almost afraid to speak it out too loudly. _“Don’t s’pose we’ll have a happy ending here?”_

Ah, yes. The ever-happy ending where they would build a little dimension in the crystal void and have some mutated dragon babies. Somehow, despite everything, the image made Yubel let out a low scoff and a wide smirk.

 _“You won’t,”_ The fiend neared, in his purest and most human form ever to date. _“But_ **_I_ ** _will,”_

And he would. Those weren’t empty words. They _never_ were. No matter the amount of time that would pass, if all of it spent waiting for His second coming would be endured for revenge, then _this_ would be a trivial matter in comparison.

_“Let’s start, eh Jesse?!”_

After a nice and long sleep, a rough start seemed fitting.

_“Whai--!“_

Or something like that, right?

Such a merciless charge up front, that the young duelist could see his very own eyes wielding that vivid color so, _so_ close — every lost and crazed thought in one simple gaze at them. But that lucid _second_ was forced to fade far too soon, the entire face withdrawing back to format strength of the upcoming blow. Short it was, but not short enough to mesmerize the teen into not having a reaction.

His reflexes were quick to put up arms and defend himself, connecting the fierceness with the wrists, and somewhat breaking the stern hold Jesse had on them. To the sudden surprise though, _one of those arms_ was _snatched_ and teal eyes widened at the sudden and inhuman tug forward, fully breaking apart every cover and opening up vulnerability.

_“Gotcha,”_

There wasn’t a chance nor any reaction time to have and stop another jab aiming for his abdomen, with such heavy power in the fist and a pull _into_ it — it knocked all air out of the male and knees fell to the ground with all balance in his body momentarily gone.

_“_ _kggth—!”_

A choked sound he had no control over, the incoming pain numbing out all other senses and taking a hold of every body motion. Which proved to be a tight clutch over the stomach, back bent, face tense, teal eyes shut tight to endure.

 _“Aw, hit a nerve, did I?”_ Laughter is the best medicine. Some mortal at one point said that, Yubel was almost certain. “ _Want me to tell you which one too?!”_

With his prey on the ground, the malicious bluenette only loomed closer, eyeing the other from a short distance to pass the insults better.

 _"Well?? That one pitiful threat is all that your mouth can do?”_ Really, that answer came in itself. _“And to think YOU are supposed to be some protector to him! Hah!”_

Nono, the standard procedure was _transforming into an aberration of some summoner’s rituals,_ and only _then_ were you permitted to act as a guardian.

The dual-gendered appearance was just an added bonus.

_“C’mere_ , Jess, _”_

That’s what Jaden called him, right? Jesse. _Jess._ It sounded soft. Breakable. Nevertheless, _Jesse,_ was picked up by his leg, practically effortlessly, and with one hand at that. Suddenly to be held upside down, and that adrenaline washed away the previous serenity of pain.

_“So,”_

There wasn’t anything more done though, despite the anxious feeling of some blows, or just _something;_ his copy only held him like that, somewhat swinging a bit.

_“So… what?”_

The teen barely found his voice, uncertain of what to even ask or answer as the shock of surprise was still lingering; yet he stood - _hung,_ calm — for now.

_“SO how are you?”_

The fiend asked him so uncharacteristically, or at least the words said were, but that dirty satisfaction of pleasure on his face — from watching, from being the _catcher -_ it gave it all away. The way _his own_ lips widened that smugness, far more than Jesse thought his own face could make it possible.

But even so, even with that crazed look, he said nothing. Refused to answer and build further that already-fueled psyche. All the other would be getting was a frown. He couldn’t win, not against inhuman strength and otherworldly powers, but the last thing on Jesse Anderson’s to-do bucket list was to continue feeding that control.

Die fighting they said, and his dignity held quite the potency.

_“Ain’t ya gonna answer?! Say something!”_

A small yelp escaped as the other decided shaking him up like pepper and salt would do the trick of conversation. It did induce a sound, but Jesse quickly restrained himself back.

_“Let me go!”_

It was an answer, but definitely not the preferred one. Yubel’s happy insanity quickly turned into a displeased, even a hint of an angry face.

_“Let me go this_ , _let me go that…”_ Orange eyes rolled _. “Shouldn’t you be a bit happier_ _considering I chose to stay with YOU and not Jaden?”_

The fiend almost made his words sound genuine and honest, as if the choice was for some deeper and nurturing reason.

_“You’re just using me for him,”_

It would be a lie to say Jesse didn’t consider the possibility of the false truth in the moment, but his skepticism reigned far too high for whom this was.

_“And you’re right! That’s all you’re even good for!”_ Words quickly confirmed, with a little more swinging to straighten for the upcoming ones, his own voice continued. _“Here, lemme rephrase that; shouldn’t you be happy I_ **_haven’t_** _killed you yet?”_

But his prey was far too stubborn — far too willing to throw his own life away. Far too determined to fight back until every bone in this fake reality was broken.

_“And_ then _who’ll serve as your Jaden-puppet?”_

At the mention of the name, the teen cut his copy’s patience short.

_“I can find anyone!! He’s coming for ME, not YOU!”_

Anger riled up, those green eyes only had a few short moments to react at a fierce incoming leg blow coming to his face. In an effort to match the reaction speed of the assault, Jesse braced for impact with arms up — an attempt to lessen the vicious power threatening some sensitive parts of his face.

But as fast as he could manage, it wasn’t enough to fully ease the impact, and a part of Yubel’s knee connected with his jaw, forcing him sway backwards before falling back in place; the other not even flinching on letting him go. In fact, the hold on his leg only tightened.

Once the situation seemed to tone down a bit, Jesse lowered his arms to look up, feeling a trail fall from his lips down. Or up, in this case.

_“…'s that all?”_

Not one to usually tempt his demise sooner than later, but through gritted teeth, it was all that escaped.

_“God!”_ The other threw his free hand in the air at the frustration, pausing a second and looking back down. _“Dumbass!”_

For a short moment, those furious bright eyes were genuinely surprised, and two colors met in a short-lived stare off. But then Yubel continued;

 _“I,_ _”_

Another kick. 

_“_ _Am,”_

A punch in the stomach.

_“About to kill you!”_

A harsh tug on the arm, that Jesse winced at the sudden muscle extension.

_“And you’re still talking like I won’t pull your organs out, one by one!”_

All the replies in return were grunts, cut gasps, whines and cries. With what it was worth, Jesse pulled up his hand to clutch his abdomen, and his copy let the other arm go too, watching a poor attempt tugging at his coat to climb further up.

_“Ah, it’s finally starting eh? The blood’s getting to your big brain there?”_

There was some sort of feeling telling him that he was given a flicker on the head, but the bluenette was more focused on everything else happening in the moment.

The pain, the throbbing _pain_ that was refusing to calm down from the aftermath of that power. The head pulsation — it suddenly felt so heavy. Even when he was having it fall and hang loose in the air, it felt as if his entire body weight just went into that one part of his body.

And then nausea, as a little flavor on top.

_“…unghh…”_

Too much was starting to happen in far too little time, and the soft eyes were struggling to remain open. The more he moved, or _was_ moved, the more pressure was felt pouring into his head. Like a weir stirring down and down to press and crush any coherence in there; and orange eyes ate is all up. 

_“Good, good…”_

A low compliment, but Jesse did hear it. Hear, and feel something inside — from his own body, trail from back into his brain. Blood, by chance?

_“…Get me up!”_

His voice tried again, this time having panic settle inside as all that heaviness grew more present. Only now did he realize just _why_ he was being held like this for so long, and the reason was anything but good.

 _“And let you break your thick skull on the floor?”_ The care in that voice almost seemed real. _“Floor, void, whatever! I need it in tact if I want blood to flow in there y’know,”_

There was a valid argument in what Yubel said, but that didn’t make the claim any less horrifying. He needed him _alive_ for _torturing._

How thoughtful.

_“…Stop…”_

Jesse yanked at the long coat again, trying to move closer to his copy and pull himself up — and the other did let him; surprisingly enough. Watching the pained struggle desperately continue and fail. No matter how hard he _clutched_ the cloth and forced his body up, every movement caused more boiling further into his brain, and _that_ initiated another hopeless sound, heartbeat rising each effort.

_“You can do it,”_

The fiend murmured lowly, even encouraging his lookalike succeed, not bothering to slap nor stop him in any way.

_Ba-thump._

_“—_ _hnnnh,”_

_Ba-thump._

_“Please—”_

_Ba-thump._

_“Hmm?”_

A beg unforgiven, answer granted. So effortless and uncaring; such joy of satisfaction.

_“I—”_

Breathe. He couldn’t _breathe._ It was growing more difficult each second; and should he dare move to stop the discomfort, it simply shot such a piercing throb back, that Jesse grounded himself in the half-climb.

_“There somethin’ you want?”_

Yubel almost laughed, infuriating the last attempt of his copy to use all leftover strength and get further up. The coat used as a ladder, and the teen managed to get a hold of a _slightly_ more proper position. Enough to focus on the pain rather than be enveloped by it.

_“…Let me go,”_

Tone low, words were steady, but weak.

Now, when it was _possible_ to feel one thing at a time, finally a strong and pulsating headache made itself known above everything else. Above the waterfall felt leaking into places not meant, overshadowed by the ringing heartbeat, and elegantly flooded by the lack of air.

Now he _knew_ all that was happening, and that somehow made it worse.

_“Well hello there,”_

And _now_ that he managed to recover a little, Yubel greeted him willing to crush all of that far too happily. 

_“And good-fucking-bye!”_

With a hard bash over his head that guaranteed him falling right back upside-down, swinging from the blow and screaming out the aftermath.

No matter the loudness of that yell, the young teen felt it muted out. Just a blur of sounds that melted with his heartbeat of each vowel, and just as everything was growing too quiet, falling into darkness and taking his consciousness with it, his body was dropped cruelly down — and with pained sound even that dream stopped.

_“There we go! I listened to what you wanted,"_

His own tone exclaimed back to him as if a yearly good deed was done. That he should be very grateful and happy and _owing_ to the other for the act.

_“…Sshut, uh…”_

_Up._ But that didn’t come out. Face planted on the hollow floor, it curtained his hoarse throat from some unnecessary limits broken.

_“Can’t hear ya down there,_ Jess _,”_

Yubel teased again, using one foot to nudge some life into the still body, though only one-sided responses came back. But that wasn’t satisfactory enough, and another contact came — this time a brute kick which knocked the male on his side.

_“—unh!”_

Hands came to clutch around the waist, said assault forcing his throat into a coughing fit for drool and red cover the floor, as slowly but safely, all the falsely-led blood began reverting back where it belonged.

_Out of his brain._

_“There we go! That was a nice and loud sound,”_

The little groan seemed to move some enthusiasm in his captor, and seemingly preparing for another kick, teal eyes tightened for the impact. But what came wasn’t that; Jesse felt himself turned again, this time on his back, for the fiend’s foot to take the opportunity of stepping on him.

At first it was just an act of dominance, to _rub in_ how powerless and weak he stood, crushed underneath his supposed darker half. At _second,_ it was to worsen the swelling of that forming bruise at his abdomen, as the brutal shoe kept rubbing its heel into it — like grinding down the remaining ash of a used cigarette, he was pummeled into the ground.

_“Stop!!”_

A beg shouted its way out, for all the abuse to stop, for his internals to gain a moment and _recover_ before being struck at again.

And surprisingly enough, his copy did stop.

_“Ah, want me to move from mm_ —” To prove his point, Yubel pressed his weight on the spot again, eating up the tightly shut eyes flicker in pain. _“—this?”_

The absolute sinister intention of that little insult was so cruel, that Jesse could only let a whimper leave as confirmation.

_“All you had to do was ask,”_

And just like that, it stopped. It almost seemed _too good_ to be true, and the bluenette certainly had his skepticism about it, but in fear of his own hope — eyes refused to open.

Even when there was no more weight felt.

_“You’d like it more here, wouldn’t you?!”_

It stopped, only to press _elsewhere,_ where fear reigned much worse. Regret immediately dawned over the last complaint. Yet, the other only eyed him from above, joy evident on the entire face as lips formed nothing short but a wide grin.

_“NO-!!”_

_“No? Don’t want me to give your lowly virginity some attention?”_

And nevertheless, _fun._

Fun. _Fun._ The _fun_ that was so very much one-sided, and even more so when his crotch was in question. Throat swallowed back any temptation and drool threatening to escape. If he made even a weak sound — it was all over.

_“No,”_

Jesse finally said calmly and quietly, refusing to meet the other pair staring him down.

_“No it is,”_

The reply which came was a bit of shock, as it definitely wasn’t the one expected. But Yubel did as spoken and even removed his leg, though not quite off of him, just a bit further up.

Where it hurt one’s pride most. The face.

_“Down there would’ve felt better, but you gotta be a bitch about it,”_

The dirty heel of his copy’s shoes rubbed at the skin, all the filth now pasted onto his cheek, further and further pressing it down until the male was forced turn his head to the side.

_“…Thas’ fine,”_

His dignity barely admitted that, but when you were to compare the two — it really was the better option. 

It didn’t prevent his lookalike laugh at the humiliation, however.

_“Is it?? Prefer me to step on your face than your dick?? Or would you rather JADEN_ _did this, huh?!”_

It started out as another taunt to disgrace, but when _Jaden_ was brought in the question, with _his_ own example at that, it all went very sideways and _very_ fast.

_“Well you’ll NEVER fucking have him! Not you or anyone else!! And I’ll damn make sure of that!”_

_Mark those words_ if you would, but that sole claim was what was keeping the fiend motivated to stay alive after such a long time and everything that’s happened. Fighting against the world and fate itself — but it was that built rage that kept it pending until something finally ended his prolonged life.

Still, Jesse gave no reaction. Not even an explanation nor defense, as it was learned by now that Yubel’s hatred was misguided, and unfortunately, wrongly set on him. He would be the last person to be able to change that view even if he tried his best.

So, he didn’t.

If the other just wanted to grow angrier by his own misplaced words, then he wouldn’t interfere. It would only go for the worse anyway.

_“…Doesn’t take a lot to shut you up, does it,”_

With one last smudge of dirt over the face, Jesse’s misery finally stopped, and his captor retreated his leg back, placing two hands over the slender hips. Yet, the abused bluenette still kept his breath hitched, not daring test limits he would never be ready for.

 _“Whatever. S’pose that’s gonna be it for today. You look about ready to die anyway,”_ His fiendish counterpart confirmed something that could come close to an ‘end of torture session for the day’, and the over-exhausted youth didn’t know whether to be happy or disturbed by it.

Regardless, he would be left with an opportunity to think for that answer as Yubel was heard and seen leaving somewhere. Where he could even go in the space of his— _their,_ own head now, was a bit of a mystery, but he didn’t ponder it right now. Only allowed himself a soft exhale, body heaving slightly to properly take in air for the first time ever since he awoke.

_“…”_

_Alone_ , trapped, and helpless. In his own headspace. For who knows what eternity that would be decided by another. Somehow, it seemed all of it would be over when Jaden and Yubel settled whatever they had — done with. But here he was, repeated of the treatment of Rainbow Dark Dragon under even worse circumstances.

Who knows if he would even get out of this one alive.

Jaden couldn’t come save him in one’s mind; or maybe he could, but believing that with such a beaten and bruised state was simply far too much of a delusional stretch right now. All he could currently do was rest and wait. At least, if he was to be fighting for himself on the next awakening, then resting away the current events proved wise.

Rest away that which wasn’t even real. The pain and exhaustion that in reality, never damaged his body — but _mind._ It was one’s own consciousness that simply made it _feel_ real. Speaking of - who knew where his body was. Maybe buried, maybe left in the other dimension; which brought upon another topic;

Did Jaden and the others make it out safely?

Another endless worry that would eat him up when _Yubel_ wasn’t eating him up, but it would linger as far as no sense of the outer world was present. Though, Jesse found himself relying on one guesswork of a fact. If the fiend was still here, it meant _something had_ happened and he needed a functioning body as much as the other. So maybe that was certified knowledge. And if it was, then;

Then he only needed to endure the inner mental torment — one that would continue tomorrow, and the next day, and next…

With eyes closing came one last thought.

It would be doable, right?


	3. Chapter 3

“He’ll need to be moved. Professor Fonda already scheduled everything with the clinic,”

Even after _all of that,_ after some time granted, nothing was different. There was no change.

“Yeah…”

The chocolate pair kept its sad gaze on the one in question, never missing should there be a flinch.

“Don’t worry…” Once a many time, another hand was placed on his shoulder in comfort. They all tried the same, but it was working less and less. “You two will be back to dueling in no time, I’m sure of it,”

So even the school chancellor said.

Yet it did _nothing._

“I know,” A lie through his teeth. He didn’t _know._ If anything, there was nothing but bad vibes about it. But Jaden wanted to believe. He _wanted,_ even if he would be lying to himself. “I know…”

He had no choice in the matter.

* * *

Sometimes, Yubel spied on the outside. Not quite daring to present himself nor overtake their shared consciousness – as _He_ would probably see. After all, even now, he was still a monster spirit; just less on the _monster_ part now. A spirit – definitely. Lost of its original appearance, also a yes, but even with a new one, what _remained_ of those leftovers was all the inhuman power a human body could wield.

No more wings, claws, and dragon heads, but that bizarre strength — that stayed.

He hoped something more did too. Perhaps the ability of creating energy waves. Very unlikely, but maybe. Hopefully. Teleporting too — that was a convenient perk. Not that there was a way to test that _in here_ either. Or maybe he could try, but if it worked and he blasted their internal connection into smithereens, there wouldn’t be a plan B for neither of them.

He needed all of this. He needed _him —_ the name refusing to echo even in his thoughts — for now. Until there was a way found to _separate_ them and continue with revenge. But right now?

Head turned a bit back, for those rarely calm vicious eyes to lock onto their counterpart lying down, as unconscious as left before.

Right now, they were as stuck as two halves of a whole were. And _maybe_ that was one-sided. _Maybe he_ wasn’t as needed as he, himself, was. But that didn’t mean anything—!

_“...I have_ got to _shut the fuck up already,”_

The fiend murmured back to himself in an attempt to stop those thoughts. But what came out of his voice again proved how much it _wasn’t_ his and the whole thing ended up doing one big loop.

_“FUCK!”_

This time came out a frustrated yell, and as much as that anger was piling to come out, in the black void there didn’t even exist a wall to punch. Only the crystals, that would no less cause mayhem inside their mind if messed with. Instead, left without many opportunities, orange eyes turned and sprawled all attention to the one thing that he would willingly pummel his range into.

_“'Ey! Get up!”_

Despite the shout, he was ignored, and that only fueled the pent-up anger.

_“I said—”_

Jesse’s lookalike approached his original, stepping in front of the sleeping bluenette.

_“Get,”_

Foot going up, only to fall back down with brute force and crudely tear some reaction out.

_“UP!”_

This time there _did_ come something out of the other – a cough; strong and ongoing, the teen trying to catch his breath.

_“…What?”_

After moments of nothing but blood drops and a peer of those malicious eyes, Jesse managed speaking.

_“’What’?”_ An almost laugh came, but the hatred was too strong. Too tempting to not give into. Too enveloping. _“You’re just about to find out ‘what’!”_

Following his own words, the last of the movement widened green eyes could see was an oncoming brutal onslaught.

From kicks to punches.

_“I will NEVER let you have him!! Never again!”_

Beats and cuts.

_“He won’t see you. He won’t SAVE you!!”_

Bruises and _burns._

_“You’ll be here with me for all eternity! You’re mine, MINE,”_

Blood splattered — beaten mouth, to the torn flesh, and from his own previously wounded injuries. Its point of origin unknown, and Yubel didn’t stop to define it. As long as it was there — he was happy, and that wicked smirk would widen.

 _“You_ ** _will_** _do what_ _I say. I’ll rip you apart bit_ _by_ _bit,”_

It all stopped for a calm moment, though it would be a blessing to say _nothing happened._ There was a second’s pause, but only enough to take a breath and endure the harsh nudge by the leg, turning him over on the back and poke at his side once again.

_“And I’ll make it as agonizing as possible. You won’t live to see anything other than me! Nothing other than this face — your face! I’ll peel what’s left of it — off of you and onto me! You’ll be nothing! NOTHING!!”_

The endless hatred just continued on and on, spewing so much nonsense, so much _pain_ in form of threats; from all the emotions, that even when Jesse could actually focus on _hearing_ what was said beneath all the burns, he wasn’t given a chance to respond to any of it.

Instead, what greeted him was a weight crudely piling itself on top of him, not an ounce of consideration to _miss_ the open flesh by a chance. No, it sat with full force, jolted his fingers in the bleeding wounds, and watched those teal eyes squirm and shut, voice whining our cries and screams of jumbled words.

_“Such a pathetic face… Look at you, drowning in your own blood already!”_

Not quite _yet_ , but a slow start. The gaze that had nowhere to go but onto its copy’s, and he _dared_ avert it _—_

_“Nonono, it’s staying on me,”_

The calmest of all movements, Yubel took a hold of the chin and guaranteed its place of movement. _Locked onto him._

_“See? Now you 'n I may properly talk,”_

A slip of the accent happened again, and the fiend twitched at the _personality_ he was indulging in — whether he wanted it or _not._

_“Please…”_

It was a small and quiet sob, full of pride and dignity to _get him this far_ in order to be said, but it finally broke even those limits.

But come bearing the bad news — it only had the opposite effect.

_“Oh_ Jesse, _crying so soon are you?”_ Again, a smile crept up the devious face, mirroring its own expression hanging on the verge of tears. “ _Why, what would JADEN think if he saw you like this?!”_

Another small sound, a soft whimper given reply, and Yubel neared his own crazed face nearer.

_“To be honest with ya, I don’t know. And not you or I will sure as fuck find out!”_

Quiet moans came, and loud laughter followed. Like a wolf to the sheep that ran and ran and _ran_ until the strong grew tired of their chase.

_“Here; if you wanna say somethin’, I’ll wait,”_

The fiend veered after some seconds spent in his own delusional delight. Though not much of his target came. Just a face held in his grasp, unable to move, unable to _fight;_ — all of it at his mercy.

It was a good one, all in all. But it could only satisfy for so long.

“ _And if not—”_

A hand grabbed the torn light shirt, using _that strength_ — his own, _the original —_ to rip it further apart at the shoulder. It didn’t take much to have an exposed and _oh-so_ _untouched_ of his scars - flesh.

_“Then… then we continue of course!”_

Such a happy and joyful tone accompanied a sentence that shouldn’t be. For all anyone knew, it really did sound like genuine happiness. And maybe it was. Maybe inflicting all the pain and misery of time upon the one at fault for it all was what gave that dose of serotonin. Maybe he really _was_ happy with this and would be fine spending his time doing it for the rest of it all.

But then, just _why_ did it _not feel like that?_

Why all the worry? All the anxiety and paranoia about _the future._ If he was fine settling it like this, if he could be happy endlessly torturing _Jesse Anderson;_

Then _why?_ Why?! **_WHY?!_ **

_“Keeping your tongue shut, are we?? Let me see it!”_

There wasn’t a _letting_ though, Yubel very much moved fingers from the chin up, forcing them inside without a second thought to grab and pull out the tongue hiding away.

_“There we go!”_

_“—nnhgkh!! Shtop-!”_

A poor effort to speak, the captured tongue trying to withdraw back, though the fiend kept it sturdy in place, only eyeing his copy with a mellow smile.

_“Mm, stop?”_ A few more seconds of hungering, of _debating_ whether or not to pull it entirely out and watch red splatter. _“Sure,”_

And Jesse’s wish was granted. Just like that. His mouth free to function again and head allowed fall to the side.

_“…Just let me go. I won’t stand between you and Jaden,”_

_Won’t._ As if he did before. But perhaps admitting it would guarantee his freedom better.

_“Oh I know you won’t,”_

His mirrored voice replied nonchalantly, offer not even sparking up interest no longer. They went in one ear and out the other — empty words, at this point.

 _“But see, this isn’t about Jaden anymore,”_ Despite the refusal to acknowledge, a hand came to touch his bare shoulder, and with no choice but to face the dread piling up in his heart did Jesse turn his face back again. _“He took everything from me. I won’t forgive him, as he won’t me,”_

Though fear built as it went, when Yubel made soft, almost-absentminded touches on his shoulder rather than usual; fingers dancing on the soft skin, trailing unknown routes, it made the teen hitch his breath, and heart sink with horror.

_“He doesn’t matter anymore, it’s only you now,”_

It only continued, this time acknowledged, he was being petted. Orange eyes peering with an unknown expression.

_“How does that feel? To have won over? Do you feel satisfied after finally beating him in something?”_

The murmuring male leaning dangerously closer, overshadowing anything else the afraid green eyes could see.

 _“It’s what you always wanted,_ **_isn’t it_** _,”_ And to finish it off, a delicate touch met his cheek, fingers softly trailing over down, and Jesse dared not even breathe anymore; every sense frozen in a whole new state of panic.

Those words echoing of _His Darkness_ saying them — deepest desires that were never allowed come truth now spoken by Yubel. It still remained false. _It had to._ Even if the fiend was meant to manipulate people to give into their deepest wishes used against them — _it still had to._ _  
_

Yet, this was different. All of it was different, and different meant unknown, _unexpected._

That was what scared anyone most.

_“I- It’s not,”_

The young duelist finally had sense returned and his voice speak. Words thrown-off, shaky, mind muffled and uncertain. He still had to _say something._

_“So it’s not…”_

Seemingly given the wrong answer, his copy lost his smile.

But only for that one small, _small_ second.

_“Then LET’S MAKE IT RIGHT!”_

And as soon as the shout left, Jesse felt his shoulder burn, bone _move,_ and his own voice scream at the sudden and excruciating pain radiating all over. Whatever _cracked_ caused a strain like no other, unfelt by anything before as no physical duel damage nor mental suffering could pose. Skin untouched, yet the agony felt worse by every passing second, and each ticked one, the teen sobbed out another sound.

 _“Does it_ **_HURT?!”_ **

Yubel barely spoke out - madness laughing, twirling his fingers around the dislocated joint. Now it stood out of place — the bone almost edging on the outside, his fingers playing in the pool of pent-up blood behind the skin. All of them to be made into such disgustingly-colored purple, red, blue bruises.

But that was the keyword; it _almost_ stood out too far. Nono, he made sure to fracture it perfectly.

_“-ah-AHHhh!! …I-I-I'm sorry… I’m—uuah!”_

Another choked gasp cutting the words, the fiend relishing in the falling tears shining in those bright eyes.

_“...I, I’ll--”_

Something, _anything,_ to make the other stop. To just end it all. He would admit it all if it would mean a finisher to everything.

_“…I’ll be yours…!”_

Through the tears, Jesse spoke; and through the insanity did orange eyes take a moment to blink as well.

“ _What?”_

All strength put into the last reply was apparently everything the bluenette had in him, as the only thing that his copy could see were running tears, rolled eyes, and an open mouth — face as messed with drool and snot as it could get. But what was said… It was enough. It was what the other _wanted_ to hear. At least, it was as best as it could get.

 _“So, the great hero finally admits it!”_ Jesse’s lookalike moved up a little, exclaiming a small pose of victory with a grin and a clap of hands. _“But did you_ actually _think you had a choice in the matter? It’s gonna be just you and me, forever,_ ”

A small laugh escaped at the rhetorical question, followed by a scream, as another _crack_ moved the bone back in its place. Soaking up the tears with delight, that malicious expression swooped down closer, tone sinking and a deeper voice whispering in his ear the upcoming words.

_“No one’s comin’ for you. Remember that,”_

And finally, only then, did his copy move up and the abused teen was left alone. At least from the physical suffering.

For some few mute moments nothing more was seen nor heard, and slowly the sobs quieted down, eventually turning to sniffles of their remains.

The pain remained – his shoulder throbbed from the previous force. It burned and _burned_ , its ache staining another scar on his body that would take undying time to heal; _if even that_ by _chance_. But when there wasn’t a fierce grip on it, it became bearable. If he could stay still, not move an inch to fasten it — it would be fine.

Best decided to do just that, and Jesse remained on the tear-covered void-floor, half-lidded eyes refusing to move from their one spot on the nonexistent ceiling, not wanting to look at _him,_ wherever he may be this time around.

_“Looks like you’ll break if we continue…”_ Yubel cooed to himself, not turning around either as each image of the same face looked their own ways, gazes deep in individual thoughts. " _See you tomorrow then,”_

Once again, his copy disappeared somewhere deep into the void. Still, the sight of those green eyes remained the same, only ever blinking. No movement, no sound, and no emotion.

None of those were permitted.

Only ones that would be, were the quiet gentle trails falling down, and bearing all of those within them.


	4. Chapter 4

Another of those many white covered beds; the plain emptiness of them absorbing all life of color from the lying soul within, with nothing but another unenthusiastic day of empty happenings. A week after the misguided outcome of the fated duel, and ever since, _nothing_ changed.

It finished, they went back, and the events were left in the past just like that. The biggest change was the maturity formed throughout the Academy years. The ignorance, the obliviousness, the _happiness._ It was all replaced now; now, when it was too late.

When it didn’t matter.

When the length of his hair and height differing only showed signs of failure from the past. Even when his past self answered him of the blame, told him that there was nothing to be done, that he offered kindness like no other only to be rejected; none of it would ever suffice to sway away the guilt in his heart. As long as he woke up every day thinking about the comatose bluenette — there would be no one else to blame.

“… Jesse…”

_Nothing changed._

_Riiing!_

The loud sound snapped some reality back into the man, hands turning over to reach the pad and answer.

“Hello?”

_“Yuki Jaden?”_

“Yeah?”

_“There have been updates,”_

* * *

_'Come to the institution clinic'_ and he was already running with untold breath towards the area. The world itself could fight him and he would be ready to win over in this very moment.

“… _huff…_ I’m here! I’m here…!” The door swung open and the male used the last of his stamina to sprint towards the reception desk, gaining many dissatisfied glares from the staff all around. “I’m Jaden — Jesse, I’m here for Jesse Anderson, please!”

“Sir please—” The nurse behind the table tried, though it quickly became apparent that the other was on the verge of tears. “I will get you the permit file immediately, calm down,”

Some of that seems to have passed, and as quickly as she gave it was he off climbing each stair up to the floor and door, until two figures were seen sitting outside; the fact of who they were slowing him down. Red shoes reached them with calmer steps, now walking.

“You must be Jaden,”

“Yeah, Yuki,”

The female figure stood up, extending her hand, and the other quickly took it. “Misses Anderson. And you could guess who he is,” No doubt about it, father.

“We’re the ones that… requested you come,” Voice began, and the brunette stayed silent - _anxious_ of what would be heard. “Jesse told us about his friends during our calls while he was at the Academy. He often mentioned you two together... how you dueled and helped one another,”

A nod came to agree all of that, although the young teen felt a spike in his heart that his _best friend_ mentioned their experiences together to his parents. _Often,_ even. He was talked about enough for the two to personally call him. A voice came again, and Jaden momentarily grounded his emotions to focus and listen.

“You two seemed to be close,” She gave a small smile, and the brunette’s voice sunk in at the answer. “Yeah…”

“…Unfortunately, he still doesn’t seem to be showing any signs of the better, but today—” Brown eyes watched the woman bring a hand to her face, wiping off the clear signs of sorrow. “—today, we saw those beautiful bright eyes open again. It was for a second, a- and he said nothing, but our little Jesse… he came back to us!”

She came quickly confronted by her husband, embraced in a hug as the shoulder of solace served as a placeholder for her tears.

And all the guilt came crashing down in doubles.

Just like that.

Seeing one’s own parents cry for their child; — _and the fault was all his._ That he knew what was causing it. That he couldn’t _tell them_ Yubel — _a monster of his childhood —_ is what is most likely causing all of it. That _he_ failed to solve the issues between himself, the Supreme King, and Yubel.

And that now, after all of that, Jesse was the victim to it.

“We thought you would like to see him too,” The man’s voice brought him back from the agonizing daydream, and chocolate eyes looked back up — bearing such a broken look. “Go ahead,”

Without anything to hold him back, as permission came granted, Jaden slowly went past and opened the room door — one wielding behind so many things he wasn’t ready for.

And he was right on that.

The sight his comatose best friend, wired up on so many things, looking so _lifeless,_ so- so—

Dead.

It broke him.

“No…”

Such a quiet sound escaped, that it could hardly be formatted into words. But it bared everything within itself, and Jaden put a wrist up his face to soak that in, wiping off whatever sadness managed to crawl out.

“Jesse— Jess, hey,”

Enough of mourning. He wasn’t dead. _He wasn’t dead._

“I’m here buddy,”

Already at the bed, the courage to face all that desperation close-up had to build up. So it did, and it _hurt_ to see the sleeping face same as back then.

Back when the helicopter departed him from the island.

“Can ya hear me?”

The brunette asked into the empty air, not too loud, not too quiet. But no matter the tone, nothing came, and his voice went silent. Teal eyelids were flickering to open, only so lowly managing, and just when Jaden thought he found hope;

It echoed back every second; _if only he would’ve kept his mouth shut._

“…”

It felt so hopeless to just sit and watch, unable to do anything, _being responsible for it._ And to know that no matter what he said — it wouldn’t be heard.

Maybe it was best to stay quiet after all.

But silence lingered within the deep mind too.

_And how he wished it didn’t._

“Fucking…!” _Silence._ Damning it the hell out of this reality and back. It was either _mute_ and he would listen to his own steps on the hollow ground, or he would hear _his_ voice. Even when _he_ spoke it would be **_his_** tone and he ** _hated_** that.

But then, in the same second, a different — _familiar_ tone spoke.

It spoke;

A question.

A plea.

From a voice that should never be heard again.

“J—”

The brunette’s voice cut short, body taken aback, as _something_ was seen flying — _forming_ into the air. For a second, he almost thought it was his best friend’s soul leaving his own body into the afterlife, but on a second look, it definitely wasn’t.

It was a soul alright, looking the same and leaving him too, but it _wasn’t_ his.

And certainly wouldn’t be going anywhere.

“Yubel—”

_“Jaden,”_

The voice and appearance that mentioned his name wasn’t the one known anymore. Not the spirit’s own any longer; but ever so familiar. After all, he heard it soft and happy so many times, _yet the same fury of the dragon coarse through those orange eyes._

“So you _are_ behind this…!” Finally finding his own tone back from the shock, Jaden murmured the words to himself a bit – though it didn’t go quite unheard.

Not that he meant it to be either.

“Let Jesse go!!”

Let _Jesse_ go.

Not a _what_ _happened_ to Yubel, or are you okay _Yubel._ Just him. Always him. Him, him, _**him**._

“It’s always, ALWAYS _him_ isn’t it…!?” 

The words pierced mutual hearts – and while the brown eyes widened for a moment, seeing the vulnerable face of jealousy in that one split second, and seeing _his own best friend in a coma —_ thoughts were quickly crossed of their momentary dividing.

“I tried to help you Yubel…!” Voice low, hurt, full of emotion, so many things crossing the mind at once. “But you still won’t see the wrong of your ways! Of course it’s gonna be him like this!! He has _nothing_ to do with this!”

The more words out, the more frustration and agony escaped, and deep behind all of that — the brunette realized he was talking to a ghost only he could see.

“He has EVERYTHING to do with this!” Such a roar from Jesse’s reconstructed voice, the fiend strengthened himself to back the rage up. “You LEFT me! For him at that! HIM!” Orange eyes glanced down at his _now_ host. The sleeping face. Even when _he_ wore it, Jaden _still_ wouldn’t look at him.

“This stupid, little _fuck_ that has done NOTHING for you is what you fight for! And not me, ME, who- who—!” Deep in his own rant, words were struggled through as the inevitable stutter happened, and the floating spirit had to restrain his own emotions from coming out again.

No more crying.

“Forget it…!”

Ending it there, all of the shouting calmed as quickly as it came. Head low, bright eyes averting back — back onto the one. Jesse.

“Yubel…”

 _Yubel._ Oh that soft and so, _so_ caring ‘Yubel’ that was only genuine when it was in the benefit of the matter. The false care always coming with it. If it were ever true, then he would’ve never been sent into space to begin with. But he’s had one too many of those _Yubel's_. Though with that, he also had that _benefit_ right in his clutch, and he would _never_ let go of it. Just how Jaden _never_ cared to begin with.

“Shut up. Just shut the fuck up. You never cared,”

“That’s not—”

“Nonono, it IS true and we both know it,”

“Just listen to me Yubel!”

“I’ve listened to you ENOUGH!” With a loud exclamation, the brunette saw - _felt_ true fear beginning to crawl up. Even sitting on the chair was growing more dangerous as seconds went. “…No more forgiving. You won’t have him,” The fiend murmured, and repeated the settlement again. “He’s MINE and you can fuck right off!”

Such a sense of panic enveloped Jaden and he stood up by instinct, ready to defend his friend in every way he knew — calling upon the powers of darkness from the Supreme King should there need be.

“JESSE ANDERSON IS MINE!”

But it was too late. He couldn’t stop the spirit from diving right back into the bluenette — he couldn’t then, and he can't _now._ Powers or not, he couldn’t interfere. Not with what he had.

“No!! Yubel!”

A beg answered to none. The fiend was gone; departed back in his ghostly form right back into his lookalike – _his original._

“What’s going on?! Jaden??”

From behind came the two worried voices, most likely due to the fault of shouting, and the teen quieted himself in the mistake. “No, it’s… sorry, it was nothin’,”

“Are you sure?” The elderly woman came nearing, watching the situation while offering comfort she knew. “Did something happen?”

With a silent sigh, Jaden put a small poker face and smiled. “Nah, don’t worry. Everything’s fine,” His voice lied again. Lied to the many things unable to be explained.

If only he could show them that a monster was inside with their son.

If only he could pull it out.


	5. Chapter 5

_“…mmh…”_

Sound before sight – and it sounded worse than last. Still, he couldn’t stop there. A closed blink or two, and with some twitches, eyelids slowly began opening, reality meeting them with the quiet emptiness. Unfortunately, the same very same sight bestowed back the bad memories, and sudden panic built up inside Jesse. Quickly as one could, green eyes scouted around — left to right, but there was no one in sight. Or rather, there wasn’t _himself_ in sight.

He was seemingly alone.

.. _unnh…”_

With a bit of an effort, the male slowly nudged his body back up into a sitting position, still looking around, albeit less cautious this time. It remained the same; nothing. Before he jumped to that question, in their own wandering had his eyes landed on their own form.

Intact.

There was nothing. Not a bruise, not a wound, not a _cut._ Not even the soreness from the previously broken muscle. In fact, even his own ripped shirt, clearly remembered torn – image still fresh – was very much complete. As if none of it ever happened. Not the last one, nor the one before that, nor the first…

As if it had no consequences.

As if, none of it was truly real.

“ _It isn’t…”_

Jesse quietly mused to himself in the confirmation, thoughts coming to validate that. They were in his head — it would make _sense_ it wasn’t there. His _body_ never suffered, even if all the happenings were felt as real as they could get. Maybe Yubel manipulated those thoughts into reality somehow. He was here after all; sharing in everything he was now. Appearance, body, _and_ mind.

Or maybe it was simply how it worked. Maybe he would wake up each time anew, as if all of it were fake realities forged by his fears. _Maybe_ he could even learn to stop them. To calm and collect his own mind, and direct the thoughts to differ the existence of reality, and that horrid, _horrid_ concept.

In fact, maybe he would get to try that the next time Yubel would assault him.

And then the teen shuddered.

_Next time._

The fact he came to terms there _would_ be a next time wasn’t something willing to be admitted so easily. A determined and willing fighter, yet here he was.

Jesse swallowed the topic down, trying to focus elsewhere, _anywhere,_ and just as the crystals shined their brightness in his direction at the gaze, he averted to look away, landing on a particularly not-entirely-black spot. It had _some_ color in it.

“ _Yubel,”_

Another quiet whisper, not loud enough to travel anywhere, but present for the male to hear his own voice.

In the distance stood his copy, almost motionless, save for the mild head movement. He almost looked deep in thought, if one could judge from a distance away. And though Jesse kept his lock on the figure and every movement made, the fiend truly didn’t seem to be doing much.

There was even doubt he was noticed staring.

Some gut feeling yelled loud and clear he _didn’t_ want to find that out, but it was ignored, and the teen made his way up with skepticism of his own thoughts.

While those warnings most likely wouldn’t be proven false, a rational sense argued back that the spirit — in everything he was — would most _definitely_ know when he was up. Whether through some feeling of presences, or perhaps their shared thoughts now, a confident assurance claimed that with no doubt.

Thus, something _had_ to be up.

“ _Well… guess I’m still standin’, so,”_

Another small murmur as the last conviction, and one let his curiosity get the better; though this time, having a chance to _fight back_ yet again, and he wouldn’t let it slip.

Not like there was much else to do around here.

Step by step, carefully, he made his way over to the other, stopping some distance behind. But his copy remained the same, and there was no doubt he was heard by now. Yet silence ever reigned. It began making things awkward, _tense._ It wasn’t truly a ‘are you okay’ topic. He didn’t _want_ to ask. After everything done, that was the last thing the other deserved. But guided by his own kindness and good heart, Jesse still found himself walking up to check up, in his own way; — to _see._

“ _What, I’m not the big bad wolf anymore? You can walk towards me now?”_

Breaking the small bubble, his counterpart spoke out, and all attention turned towards that voice. Though the reply came empty, and the frowning bluenette just kept staring off in the distance.

“ _Fuckin’ talkative today_ …” This time, the intruder turned to face him, looking as bored and displeased as he. “ _Well? What do you want?_ ”

The question came almost… honest. As if the intent behind was nothing more than an actual answer to it.

And Jesse…

Jesse hated that.

Because what _did_ he want? Did he come up to ask ‘ _when is our torture therapist session gonna start today_ ’, or to oh-so kindly make sure Yubel was in a _good mood_ before they started. He knew for a fact none of those were true, yet it really did seem as stupid as that.

“ _For you to stop this,”_

If the other was being honest, then so would he.

And that answer on the other party, always proved to be the worst.

A grunt came out of the other before the long coat swayed near. “ _Got some news for you! Jaden and I spent some_ quality time _together while the little princess over here slept,”_

At the mention of the brunette, the fiend saw his mirror's attention perk up, not even registering the insult. His expression _itched_ to frown, but he kept it motionless. At least a little more.

“ _Worried like I’ve been doing fuck knows what to you!_ ” He wasn’t. _Really._ By his own endured standards, at least Jesse wasn’t _sent into space._ “ _He doesn’t know shit! We’ve been bonding, right Anderson?”_

The standing teen felt a hand plopping around his shoulder, his counterpart proceeding to lean and hang off of him as a supposed _pals_ motion. When in reality, it only sent a shot of fear the moment Yubel _touched_ him. He never felt more uncomfortable about human contact his entire life.

 _“…Sure_ ,”

Voice found to murmur back, not really putting thought into his answer as it very much came off more than sarcastic. He only nudged the hand off of him — the touch on his shoulder immediately piling back up the remembrances.

“ _Aw c’mon, I think we’ve been doing great actually!”_ Yubel exclaimed, for some hidden seconds coming surprised at the little shoo of the touch, even wanting to _put it right back there_ , but that face quickly turned back to its usual. “ _I’d even kill Jaden before you now! That’s great progress, ain’t it_?”

In all honesty, the fiend thought those words would be harder to state, or might come with some hardships in them, but none of those happened. In fact, the spite only grew as he said them.

 _“He can go fuck himself! You and I are just gonna have the BEST life here. Just the two of us, together_ ,” Quieter and quieter, until his very own face leaned closer. “ _Forever,”_ Until that deep exclamation made the teen shiver. “ _Sounds great, doesn’t it?”_

_“I’m…”_ It was hard. Those words sent such a shock of fear into his core, that replying to them didn’t come so easily. “ _\--not gonna be stuck here with you forever,”_

There was something uncanny. Something so _off_ about all of this — about the fact that all of that insane obsession;

Was now turned to him.

“ _Oh, but_ you are _,”_ Such a heavy claim that the frozen male momentarily forgot his own reflexes, until a sudden thrust at him forced him back to reality to fight back.

_“Let’s go down together, shall we Jesse?!”_

What came following those words was so forceful, so _power-hungry,_ that if one small moment passed between the timed reaction, there would be no escaping that grasp.

But he didn’t miss it. Not this time.

_“--ngh-- I’m not going down with you! I’m not your toy Yubel!”_

The shove came dodged, then blocked, and Jesse met the orange eyes up close while his hands kept the fists at bay; — _not for long._ The inevitable inhuman strength would ultimately be his downfall, and he was fully aware of it, but for as long as the strength would carry him, he’d fight.

 _“Huh,”_ A small sound hung in the air between the two faces before the fiend properly acknowledged what exactly happened. And when he did; _“Who said you have a choice??”_

Knuckles tensed up, face growing of that thin curved line, and the bright crazed pupils only ever widening.

But still, he stood his ground.

“ _I did, and you w—”_ Less talking, more dodging — _except it wasn’t a dodgeable thing._ Instead of pressing forward, his copy pulled his own fist out of Jesse’s grasp, only to _grab his_ instead. And as soon as _that_ happened, every bit of that anger fueled into his arm, palm, and Yubel squeezed the fist underneath as hard as he could.

_"What was that now?”_

The fiend almost cooed, leaning closer and closer until he would carve a scar his own face into the other’s memory. And maybe he would. Maybe he already did, but even with nothing except his own nightmares to sleep with, they were his _own_ terrors that he _could_ control.

“ _I said-“_ Teeth grit, the soft face wearing none of that warmth any longer. Deep green eyes mirroring their fierceness in their maker. _“That you’re dead wrong if you think I’ll just let you! Get—_ ” Jesse swallowed down the pressure of blood crushed, and brought his leg up knee the other in the stomach. _“—off_!” 

His own power wasn’t as nonexistent either, and with being _very limited,_ that unfortunate kick did blow some air out of his captor and he momentarily let go over the hold, reflexively clutching at his waist.

 _“You little FUCK! That hurt!”_ Hearing those words bolstered the teen’s pride a bit, seeing his enemy crouching beneath him – if only for a moment – returned a small spark of hope.

 _“Yeah?! Thought you liked pain!”_ His tone heatedly replied, and while it definitely wasn’t as satisfying as all the other insults the fiend could spit out, it was enough to suffice some willpower back inside of him.

 _“You’ll regret that… Mark my words_ Jesse _,”_ His copy started getting back up, slowly, confidently, and most importantly – grievously. _“You **will** ,”_

Far too ominously. Footsteps began walking backwards, slowly making distance, orange eyes unmoving from their mirror. And the other didn’t move either, didn’t even do anything unusual, only stared back, yet Jesse felt his heartbeat speed up.

Deemed ready – yet his gut feeling screamed more than ever.

_“You want to hurt me? Like he did? ‘S that it?”_ Now, he even began walking. Making small circles around the area, straightening back up, and all that did was made the tension in the air worse; especially with the uncharacteristically calm words. _“Abandon me like he did? Nah, no… You and I, are gonna have none of that,”_

Somewhere, somehow, it felt as if he was meant to be _running,_ but all the frozen state of mind let him, was stand. Stand and watch; gaze and reflect the matching eyes that pierced his very soul deeper than anything.

So deep, that that’s exactly where they were right now. In his mind. His _soul._

 _“So why don’t you come over here... and we’ll have a_ grea _t time today,”_

Even extending his arms in an almost-inviting manner at that. If you ignored everything else.

_“No thanks,”_

Another smirk followed, with a disapproving gesture of falling hands.

_“And why’s that? Ain’t that why you came lookin’ for me?”_

The accent flew through right off of those words, but the madness-struck fiend failed to acknowledge it. Failed to _care._ Thoughts too damaged, too corrupt to direct love from hate in routes any longer. 

_“I… I didn’t come looking for you,”_ Even when that’s _exactly_ what he did, Jesse argued his mind and facts otherwise, unwilling to admit the terms. _“I can’t just ignore you being here,”_

 _“Don’t worry about that one,”_ Free from the unusual insanity, the one used to be on the face, was slowly returning. For the better or worse. _“You found right what you were looking for —_ me _,”_

Worse, it already came.

Not even a split second to widen and react for the oncoming assault as Yubel lunged forward again, aiming for another attack that the momentarily-paralyzed teen successfully blocked. As soon as he saw that, his self-defense instincts kicked in. Another hit dodged, one parried — even if the sheer power of the deflect would leave a bruise, and two pairs of the same faces reflected off of each other.

One smiling, lips parted, pupils shrunken; and the other wearing its matching opposite. A tense expression, teeth clenched tightly, and his eyes ready to fight every shroud of desperation within.

_“Admit it!”_

That one almost hit.

_“You MISSED me! That time in Rainbow Dark Dragon—”_

_That one_ scraped _._ A small cut at the cheek, droplets falling.

_“—must’ve been_ SO _lonely,”_

That one did hit.

_“It was_ my bad _back then, I should’ve just left ya in your own head! Could’ve done all of this a lot fucking earlier!”_

That one, was what made him fall.

_“Come on_ Jess... _He left both of us!”_ Once his target was seen slowly losing their little quarrel, the tone began quieting through the exhales; pumped adrenaline mellowing out. _“But ‘s fine, because I know you want this,”_

With the male lying on his back, trying to recover from the aftermath of the attacks that massacred his body, Yubel made sure to sit down on him, legs at each side, and ground him there as a definitive. Wearing nothing but a satisfied smile that was devouring the hurt face.

 _“…I… I don’t—unh—”_ Speaking proved far harder than he was willing to admit. In fact, rather than speaking, came _groans_. Body still throbbing over the beaten parts, bruises already forming, and the open wound still dripping down.

 _“Shh,”_ A gentle act came to wipe away the red, and from his tense shut eyes, the bright teal shot open. _“Not you or I… need him,_ ” The fiend soaked up all of the blood onto his finger, eyeing it down momentarily to savior that deliciousness.

Not only that one, but the face the other was making too. It was so _surprised,_ confused, struck with newfound fear of that sudden _gentleness._ And while he liked that, liked that the small soft contact only sped up the bluenette’s heartbeat, he still preferred his usual methods.

Those of pain and suffering.

Though, _mayb_ e he could linger a bit more with these.

_“…What are you even on about?”_

Jesse spoke a bit hesitant, his own body struggling to react accordingly. To just up his arm and _throw that contact off._ No matter how hard he tried forcing it, the other had him stopped in fear. His curled fists could only tremble.

 _“mm_ …” Even if there was an opportunity at hand, his copy quickly shut that out, binding his hands underneath his own — a stern grip keeping them down. _“Who knows,”_

Usually talkative, even ongoing with his own monologue, that, too, lowered into nothing but mute silence.

And somehow, that was the worst of it all that he struggled to swallow.

_“And who cares, not important,”_ The fiend neared, head quietly lowering, bangs and strands falling down with the head movement. _“What’s important — is you,”_

He leaned down enough for Jesse feel that hot breath of those soft murmurs washing over his skin. To remind him of the same sensation on his shoulder as before, albeit this time, being the other one. All the memories of it being _bent_ and mauled ways it shouldn’t be coming back in an instant, and the frightened teen could only swallow down his anxiety in a gulp.

Yet, nothing seemed to happen for a moment. Just _him,_ face buried, staying still, and not saying a word; delicate breaths tickling the skin there. 

_“…and your beautiful, untouched, skin…”_

It was more than enough to be absolutely dreadful.

_“N- no,”_

Another stutter. Unavoidable. Completely at the other’s mercy, betrayed by his own despair of fear.

He knew. _He knew._

**“Yes,”**

All of his previous gut feelings of panic came true then and there; — with the quiet moment slowing down time, Yubel turned that eerie feeling into an even bigger horror. First with a quick and cruel grasp, the force grabbing his neck, pressuring all air to remain in place, the sudden cut of breath cropping any means of inhaling further, and when that clutch threatened to crush his neck in its power, the teen cried out with struggling, choking - all of those miserable sounds to hear. 

More and more, teal eyes rolling back, reflexes came and hands began clawing at the hold, all of the desperation attempting to somehow overpower for his copy to loosen the hold.

And just when Jesse thought it worked and the fierce grip softened, it only got worse;

With all of _his own_ body’s human force, and the otherworldly strength Yubel held, foreign teeth sunk themselves at the base of his neck, the hard grip diving as far as it could, clutching the skin tightly until a piece of flesh was torn and pulled out with it.

A decent chunk of human _meat_ in that mouth, and once some distance was made again, through dazed and blurry vision, throbbing with pulsating sensations, orange eyes could be seen staring down their copy with delight.

Though all they received was such a loud shriek, from top to bottom in the whole process, and until its end. Every vocal chord extended to its fullest and lungs screamed out in terrorizing agony of their limit.

The perfect musical to his ears.

_“mmfh? Hffold onf_ ,” The fiend spat out the piece to his hand, giving it only a glance before the focus drifted back to the male underneath him. _“That bad?”_

Tone asked so casually — the momentary look in the orange eyes seemed almost surprised at the reaction, though when that bright green started tearing up, a smile crept back on the face.

 _“Hey, weren't you listenin’? No cryin’ yet,”_ A finger brought up to the messy face, brushing one side of cheeks from its tears. _“If you do that now, what’ll you do later?”_

One palm covered with the cool tears, and the other with warm blood.

And all Jesse could do was stare back up at the blood-covered affectionate smile, with nothing but hiccupped sobs, snot, and saliva drips from the weeping. Absorbed in the burning pain, not even the gentle movement of the other was enough to be felt or distracted by.

 _“I’m here,”_ The fiend sang as if his own presence would be the sole comfort of every ache his copy had. All the loneliness before _they_ met, the jealousy of _him_ , the _love_ of **_their_** mutual hatred, and pain. He would be present, remain forever and after so no one else would have to suffer and endure all the agony he had. They would share that eternal torture now.

And that’s _exactly_ the comfort his lookalike would ever need.

_“I won’t leave. I’ll_ never _leave,”_ Swaying some of the hair off of the bluenette’s face, his other hand neared, the one holding the soaked piece. _“Just us,”_ Though his target in question flinched the face away, cries speeding up at the fear, shudders unable to stay still, twitches making it all difficult; but Yubel easily pulled it back in place and fixated it in place. _“Open,”_

The fiend nudged the piece at the open mouth, trying to get the other to work it and actually take it in, but Jesse gave no such privilege, keeping it as shut as it could get through the sobs. While he could very much force it in and part the lips with so much as a flick of his thumb, all that happened was the delicate expression dropping its smile, simply looking down.

 _“Don’t wanna, eh…”_ A thought for a moment, the piece brought back to his own mouth instead, and chewing through some of the hardness left, plopping it open to splatter its remaining blood inside, his teeth smothered it with a vile sound. _“ ‘S fine. Here, I’ll help out,”_

Within seconds of the mouthful, the fiend bent right back down, this time coming closer to the pained face and stopping only mere inches in front of it.

_“I got it jus’ for you,”_

With a gentle attempt, the pair of lips met in a chaotic kiss, as Yubel planted the cool and bloodied pair over their own duo; the soft and afraid ones that were only open to breathe — now used as a target for a _thorough_ invasion.

Parted by the intruder, those sneaky, albeit less intrusive and forceful than usual means, made their way inside. Immediately jumping to the opportunity of tossing the held piece over and across the other tongue, and using the given chance to lick it over. 

Taste the blood, cup the _other’s_ own flavor and finally experience the difference in detail of the two bodies. And only then, when that separation could be _felt_ that they were different, run through the corners of those wet insides and sample his own over them. Caress and wash over with such careful fondling, as if its sole intention to _prevent_ hurt than cause it.

But really, it was nothing more than being caught in the moment. In the power of dominance.

And when it was proven sated, with fingers holding the chin closed, while _he_ waited for the young and helpless male swallow, watching him fight his own spit in the moment to prevent choking, a free wrist wiped the remains of blood off of his own face, smudging the leftover ones in the process and giving the black handwarmers a vivid detail.

_“That good? Now swallow it,”_

An order, though it didn’t seem to go quite through as intended, seeing as the only response were further shivering cries. While those whimpering sounds and the hopeless pleading expression was ravaging his satisfaction inside-out, he still wanted more.

Yubel loomed down closer again, this time wearing a displeased face; orange eyes threatening to make their point clear and the anger shown, contradicting every other joyous moment the sadomasochistic male seemed to have.

“ ** _Swallow_ ** _,”_

A dangerously low tone demanded again, and with a bit more force on the grip holding his chin, Jesse took the hint. Eyes closing behind shuddering eyelids, the falling mementos only following, and with a hard gulp — as little as touching through the flesh with teeth — it slid down after two attempts.

Hardly, barely, and it was _uncomfortable_ as the chunk was bigger; a large part of muscle with it, but it _did_ go down with crying sounds and leftover blood to force the flow as a sickened gulp of water. Once confirmed, his captor withdrawn his hand, moving back into the previous sitting position, back straight, and grinned pleasingly.

_“Just like that… That’s it,”_

As soon as he was finished, the crying duelist received a little pat on the head – some sort of attempt at rewarding the good behavior, having a bit of the drool at the corners wiped off too before fingers retreated, and the fiend continued staring him down.

 _“Delicious, right?”_ Even if he would receive no reply to that, happiness proved far too evident at the sight to be bothered by it. “ _Must be…”_ The last words drifted in the air, murmurs of the misplaced wishes coming lost in many turbulent thoughts.

Some sickened as the last, others confused, lost, and the unknown ones growing to co-exist among the other two.

Needless to say, with the _daily_ pleasure quota filled for the odd sense of time in this world, Yubel stretched himself and stood back up on his own two feet, brushing some of the ripped skin parts off of his coat.

 _“Don’t look so sad!_ ” Tone mocked the weeping face, and the male chuckled to himself at the little joke _. “I jus’ gotta make sure we don’t get_ … interrupted, _”_ The reminder had an exact pinpoint of just _who_ and _what_ he meant, but before the mild frown overtook every bit of joy he gained, he forced those thoughts out. _“'Til then, sleep tight_ Jesse! _”_

With nothing else to stop the departure, the long coat turned, and its owner soon came lost in the distance of the void.

Once another, as many times before. Countless, even, as time came relevant when you only awakened to repeat the nightmare.

It held no meaning anymore.

He would drift off to the crystal’s calling, the small clings off of the glassed shards lulling him into another deep and fake sleep, until his own mentality recovered enough to come be yet again.

And just like that, too, would he be recovered.

From all the bruises, wounds, cuts — everything but the scars carved by a knife into his mind. Now it seemed nothing else but a foolish thought to _think_ he could make it all disappear if he _thought hard enough._ If only it were as easy as a delusional hope. You force your mind not to think about them, and all the bad things would go away just like that.

Maybe, somehow, that would bear sense considering the case of one’s _mind,_ but not in this one. This one, held a much bigger play at hand; had an _intruder_ in it.

The same one who kept his own state wrapped around his finger.

Or perhaps, unknowing to him, the other was just as lost as he. As _hurt_ as he — had as little to no control, as he. But by the time he rationalized that, if even true, it didn’t matter anymore.

_“…-!”_

Thoughts were cut short by a sudden gag, forcing the injured teen to reflexively turn to his side and not choke on his own incoming vomit.

“… _uunh_ …”

A low sound with silent huffs, tears covering the hazy teal from the tense reaction. And just when that seemingly — _stopped,_ at least to have a pause and recover, at the corner of his eyes did the tired-out teen see his own skin.

The torn, ripped, and _missing_ flesh that was covered in blood. The same _bit_ that he undoubtedly spewed out in undigested bits only inches away. Which in the same second brought back all the pain and fear of it. Every _reminder_ of the abuse that happened up until now;

And would again.

_‘Forever,’_ as his copy claimed many times. Every time he would call it absurdity and pure empty threats made by the fiend, believing that it would all end soon enough and Jaden — _anyone_ would break through the accursed spell and reach out. To help pull him through. To _tame_ the enraged beast to understanding.

Or maybe _they_ would come to an understanding. Maybe _he_ would be the one to explain that rationality and help himself. _Both_ of his selves, as it apparent was now.

Still, somehow, none of that happened.

It all appeared as if he was believing a false hope of some miracle that would end it all and revert to world to rainbows and sunshine. Give him another opportunity to see his family — real one, and the Crystal Beasts.

Let the young duelist have his own chance at life.

But reality hit that maybe he wouldn’t be so lucky.

Though a part of that did come true. They had _come_ to an understanding of sort. And there would be a happy ending, perhaps only, not for _his_ story this time. As much as belief wished to argue its point out, the ultimate despair was crushing that single bit of longing. After no changes, and only the known outcomes, it was a burden growing too heavy to bear.

It would be easier to just let it go. Embrace it, and let himself be at the other’s hands, so that the unending pain would numb senses enough to be endured each time.

So, so easy.

_“…I’m… I’m gonna die here…”_

To make the tears fall;

And let the final string go.

Curled up in his own mind, on the hollow black floor with droplets of red roses and a sickening pool of his own humiliation, Jesse let his sorrow overcome and clutched his crying expression to illuminate the transparent tears with it. To let it all please as it wished, fall down - finally rid of his will, and dirty his broken state before it would come anew. 

Going numb, and giving up, was after all, so, so much easier.


	6. Chapter 6

But that would be the last thing he would ever do. The name Jaden Yuki was better than that.

Better than to give up on his best friend.

Despite that dreadful feeling growing stronger each second, he would fight on as Jesse fought for _him._ No matter what everyone told him, he refused to give up that belief. Each day, each _moment,_ it was irrelevant what he found himself doing, all of the thoughts would somehow, someway, trail back to the memory of that broken, broken face.

Sleeping, motionless; even the breath heaves barely there. The life Jesse lacked, was the life Yubel had.

And every agonizing _second_ it screamed how it was _his fault._

Sleeping it away was working no more. Even dreams and nightmares would be about that. Always, _always_ about that, and bags under those chocolate eyes worsened day by day. Soon, they would become unbearable, and Jaden knew that staying at home would be anything but influential to remove them.

He had to go back. Had to fix it; — had to _try._ To get _some_ sort of outcome other than the one they’ve settled on. Bad or good, it had to _stop._ No doubt the horrors of the fiend’s hatred were all pinpointed on his best friend.

And no way was he going to just let that happen.

“I’m coming Jesse,”

Not again.

But until he crossed that path of inner darkness standing between them, that very same force would fight him back, and _fight_ over the claim of what rightfully belonged to _him._

He won. Lost who he was, his body, his _soul —_ but he _won_ what was _his_.

And Jesse Anderson _was;_

_“Mine,”_

The tone followed that trail of thought, standing in the nothingness, watching, waiting; prompting to trigger that opportunity for the _kill_ should _he_ interfere again. But there was no one in sight. Not a single disturbance in their mind; it was as peaceful as the sleeping silence of the hospital.

And that was fine. It was how it _should be._ No one else should get in the way of his own prized possession. Just the two of them.

_"And nobody fuckin’ else!”_

The fiend exclaimed with loud laughter; voice echoing through the hollow grounds, empty walls, Through the magical reality and beyond — for none to hear but himself.

_“…Hahah! How does it feel to have lost you fuck! I hope you rot just as I did!”_

So many yells, so many feelings, but at the very least, the last of the tears.

They have had enough of.

_“No... No! You got those outta me for the last time Jaden_ , _”_ And finally, even the mightiest who laughed last – broke. Broke and forced out the crumbling cackle with the innocent droplets. _"Now it’s MY turn to be happy!”_

He would be. _He would be._ He was happy here, with him. Without anything; no worth, no goal, just — together.

As long as it meant not being alone anymore.

But he wouldn’t be. He _wasn’t._ He had _himself_ just some distance away, somewhere, in the darkness; clutched up to his knees, probably.

Saddened, crying. Always, _always_ so full of pain and sorrow.

Why?

Why would he hurt when _he_ saved _him_ from Jaden’s prolonged method of suffering? He was about to abandon him. In fact, he _did_ do just that, as per proof of them being here. He would _suffer_ like no other. From the eternity of time, from the mental anguish endured. From _Yubel._

But that treatment was scrapped off. Jaden wouldn’t come near. Wouldn’t make _anyone_ wither away any longer, and that precious, _precious_ jewel would be _his._

Like a scratch of a sharp claw to the delicate and beautiful crystals;

He would be cherished.

_“Ahh, Jesse!”_ With another loud exclamation, the fiend sang on the mute grounds. _“You_ will _learn…”_ He would be his guide. He was a _great_ guide — being the one to help teach the young prince ride his very first horse. He could repeat that. Albeit with much less horses and… everything else, but all in all;

_“I’m a GREAT coach! He only broke one leg,”_

Yubel hummed at the long memory, pestering old thoughts buried deep in the mind while walking around. _“…could’ve been worse,”_ A little peek to look up where exactly legs took him; _“Fuck, could’ve been two! And then what?!”_ Soon spotting the one color of life in black and white. _“I’d have to carry his ass back to the king!”_

And once close enough to meet the lying figure, an attempt of conversation was shot at the other.

_“A piece of shit, ain’t that right Jess?”_

Though all the intended reply was nothing short of a glance back. Teal eyes looked so dull, body unmoving, not even a flinch of fear showing in the posture.

_“ ‘Ey,”_

Still nothing, and the teen’s copy crouched down, a leg over each side as the pose became a norm, looming down a bit closer.

 _“Mm_ ,” Face coming nearer to the previously exposed neck wound, nuzzling in, smelling the missing remnants of blood. “ _What’s wrong?”_

But even with the soft and affectionate touches, the bluenette still kept his tongue, the half-lidded gaze locked unto nothingness, face ushering no emotion.

 _“Not in a good mood today?"_ With the other as unresponsive as he was, Yubel used that to his advantage, for a moment, simply watching. “ _Thas’ fine…”_ With opportunities exposed, he leaned towards, letting the tongue trail over the barely-exposed neck. _“I’ll do all the work,”_ In a whispered silence, the small command offered, and there was no complaint given.

Not enough will to fight it.

Not enough _life._

Even when every memory recalled either of those touches be ready to turn cruel in an instant, to bite and rip him apart, piece by piece, and the standing heartbeat sped up — none of it came.

At least not in the current.

Perhaps it would later, and he would be ready, because there _is_ nothing to be done about except that. Just lay down, stay still, and watch your own soul be mutilated before your eyes. Only to return once more, and wait for the night terrors strike again.

For now though, in the first of the times, the European teen was treated with _kindness_ by the other. By soft touches, _caresses_ by the face that nestled deeper into his neck. A little on the rougher side to rid all distance, but if there was any _care_ in his copy – this would be it.

_“I missed you,”_

Another path formed by the wetness.

_“I_ **want** _you,”_

This time, more eager. More _forceful._

_“You’re_ **mine** ,”

And the last of the murmurs breathing hot air into his skin turned for the savage.

Each of those cuddles were now sunken teeth piercing the flesh; nowhere near as hard as last time, now that the aim differed, but the startled heartbeat alerted the teen of its intentions. Deep within his gut, and clear in the brain, the movements signaled towards only one thing, and drained of his resolve, all Jesse could do was avert his face.

To the side. Opposite of his captor’s assault that would only grant him more exposed access to feed off of.

Perhaps then it would end sooner.

_“Finally startin’ to feel good about what I do, don't you!”_

_Pain_ beginning to have positive impact made the fiend smile in his invasion over the other. All of the other sounds seemed to be of agony – but maybe now, now it would be that delight from the hurt.

No words came to follow the question, but when he bit a particularly harsher part on the neck, a wince was heard.

And that little sound was all the green light needed.

_“Let me hear you_ Jesse _,”_

The name still held an impact to it, some specific way of saying it.

“ _Hear your voice,”_

Mixed with the cruelty of teeth and a gentle wet curtain of the tongue – it all came piled down into suckles.

_"Hear you moan my name,”_

So much, so _loving_ and demanding, yet never quite there.

Never quite the kisses.

_“See more of your crying faces…”_

That ' _see'_ soon turned to _take_ and _claim_ and _love_ and everything else that followed the descriptions of care in the fiend’s eyes, one of the hands moving to the cheek, a little bit of violence in fully shoving his lookalike’s face to the side and ground.

_“That’s it, let me take care of ya,”_

Submission forced, and submission granted. Not a sound of complaint, not even a flinch to struggle; just those over-exhausted eyes and the open compliance ready to be taken. Not just by anyone; it was only two here. And the fact that the very same surrender was subjected to none other _than_ him;

_“…love you,”_

That chance wouldn’t be slipping through his fingers.

_“Mark you_ mine _,”_

A follow-through on the claim, and some reaction sparked up at the purple bruise forming from the intended bite. Just a wince of eyes and a small shudder – almost passed even by the fiend.

_Almost._

But it didn’t, and Yubel smiled at his own move. A few more repeated of those, though his copy seemed to have grounded the voice any further, and only when his pinpoint was that to furthermore wound the swelling, a few more pleasant sounds were heard. Music to his ears, truly.

But not quite _enough._

The fiend moved himself back up, removing his hand and taking a moment to savor the sight beneath him; face remaining in place even when free, his mouth’s imprints flourishing on the pale skin in comparison, and not a hint of rejection present.

Free for the taking; _his_ taking, as they said.

_“Seein’ how this ain’t real… they’ll fade,”_ The one-sided tone tried once more, hands reaching for the pink-white shirt and slowly, almost _carefully,_ ripping it apart from the middle down, all in one go. _“Gonna have to redo ‘em every day,”_

Day, _day._ Every time they met anew.

_“I’ll be looking forward to that…”_

With the material torn in half, Yubel spread the cloth apart and revealed the bare sight that was sought out. That very same muscle that kept his own form; every finesse hidden beneath the puffy shirt that faked the appearance – unlike the choice of outfit from _himself._

_“Look at all that muscle you gave me! No wonder they can pack a punch,”_

Thoughts reminiscent of the struggling fight not too long ago. It hurt, but that was just how the other showed _love,_ wasn’t it. And he liked pain. He loved that pain. The pain that would guarantee no more loneliness – as in comparison to that one.

That one was a red light.

That one he’s had enough of.

_“You can do it again, y’know,”_ Down and down again, shifting around until his face breathed the tingling sensation on the barely-heaving chest. _“I wouldn’t mind. A lil’ aggression suits ya, considering-”_

How far he would go for _Him._ But that thought was forced out before the frown turned into something far more hostile.

_“…nevermind,”_

Toned down, but the hatred quelled and burned inside no matter how many times and in what context the topic would be mentioned. A trigger like no other, and the mat for that once again, would be none other.

With more effort than necessary, mouth leaned towards and onto the skin again, nipping at the collarbone with softer bites, slowly slipping lower, hands coming at the sides, dancing around at the cloth, moving closer to the front until the bare flesh was in their clutch. Sliding underneath the torn remains of the shirt and groping the firm body at the hips, savoring the feeling of _Jesse_ being _his._ Delicately passing through every corner and individual part – making sure not to miss an inch.

And when they came satisfied, both palms rejoined the mouth as the sadistic tongue worked its intention out on marking its presence at the stomach, at the abdomen, just near the belly-button, fingers came next to reign over the same section. Pressing, pushing, tearing the purple bruise enough to make that blood pop out further and _further_ until it soaked its color onto them as well.

Only a small bit. A soft and elegantly calm maroon that enveloped around his finger, its amount too lesser to fall, stickiness holding it to its quarry. Still, it was enough, and Yubel’s devious smile expanded. Especially when it initiated another of the murmuring whimpers, and his cool expression furrowed the eyebrows.

_“Come on Jesse, let it all out!”_

Those little moans were dessert, truly, but somehow, he still preferred a _mouthful._

The fiend moved back up, sliding his position a bit lower to avoid sitting on the one thing he actually _needed_. In the meantime, on the legs would suffice;

At least until there was a need to spread them.

_“I’ve seen and heard the worst of you... Practically know you inside out, don’t I?”_

A little bit of irony – considering where they were.

_“There’s nothing you can hide from me. I possessed— I OWN you!”_

A loud and proud exclamation, arms widely expanding with joy before his tone sunk back down into new territory of admittance.

_“I_ **am** _you,”_

It was those words that made the green eyes fully snap open and head turn, all dread and horror struck into his very core within the same moment, and when the mirrored pair of eyes met — Jesse Anderson, for the first time, understood and saw _exactly_ what the other meant.

The other, him, his _mirror._ His very same equal that reflected off of his own appearance. Smiling and wearing expressions his own face shouldn’t be able to do. Obvious and clear the sheer proof of it stood, his mind failed to process it. To _accept_ it.

_“…You.. you’re Yubel,”_

The word that was becoming harder and harder to say out loud each time. The _Yubel_ that had no shroud of _Yubel_ left.

_“… Don’t fucking mention that anymore!”_

How was it a _Yubel_ anymore when even the form wearing the skin refused to admit it any longer?

_“Just shut the FUCK up about that! There’s no Yubel, there’s nothing left of ‘Yubel’!!”_

Such rage echoed at the thought of the memory. Even the mention of that accursed name brought back _Him,_ and he was _too sick of that._ With shaking hands, the now nameless male grit his teeth, and tried to swallow those reminders haunting him over and over. In the mute silence as neither spoke, Jesse just watched that fierceness crumble every so often.

Relishing the unknown moments, it seemed as if everything was forgotten. It tempted one to comfort, to say ‘ _it’s okay’_ and embrace that pained sorrow.

But when a merciless attack was sent straight into the poked open wound, all of those thoughts were erased in an instant, and the powerless bluenette gasped. Air knocked out of his lungs, it took some effort to re-open the eyes that shut on reflex and see what happened.

No more the struggle caused by the blow, his copy kept him still and grounded, with a fist still on his stomach. A heavy punch aimed at the weak spot to get the point across.

“ ** _Don’t_** _mention_ _that_ , _got it?”_

Last on his mind to cause unnecessary pain, Jesse nodded and agreed; eyes falling back to their lifeless stare from the lingering frown. The faster he gave in;

“… _Got it,”_

The less it would last.

_“Good…”_ His copy murmured back, clearly receiving the wanted answer, trying to settle the good mood back in place and removing his hand previously bloodied; knuckle now bearing some of that. _“And I was in a good mood too…! You just_ had _to fuck it up,”_

The fiend exhaled his frustration out, relaxing away the tension in muscles, reaching for his own clothing.

 _“Since you were so kind as to_ piss me off _, gonna have to make up for that,”_

And what other way than give him the best hard-on of a millennia — because now, he was just as alive as that time. If not more.

And that _was_ the last time genitals were _remembered_ had.

_“I’ll even give ya a headstart!”_

With some happiness returned in the tone, hands meddled with his own belts; first the waist one to free that pants lock, and then the two of the coat, having the purple jacket fall loose of its bindings.

_“Enjoy the view in the meantime,”_

And lastly, the black pants and last of the remains were lowered, not fully, but enough to have space to pull out the one _gem_ underneath it all.

The male snorted to himself at the humorous thought.

Though funny as it was, his copy only averted his gaze, turned his head, did everything _but_ the intended offer.

 _“C’mon! Don’t be shy,”_ Usually annoyed at disobedience, this statement came in a lighthearted and playful voice. _“It’s like watchin’ yourself get off,”_

It was, in every way and _no_ way at the same time. Still, Jesse Anderson refused to think about it and kept his tired, but nonetheless dignified look, away.

 _“Mm, you can’t hide away forever,”_ He could _hide_ as long as his malicious counterpart didn’t simply decide to grab his chin and turn it over. _“It’s_ your _body after all,”_

Jesse's body, and yet _his_ own work of slow stroking was doing it.

It was a bit of a slow start; to get used to, to _remember_ how it felt, to adapt to _this_ body now and the use of having actual flesh. A bit of up and down, testing the fingers against to find the perfect batch of feeling. A little roughness put into the hold and _that was it._

_“See? It’s already startin' to stand,”_

Yet the other part of the conversation still kept his shame and attention elsewhere. Focused on the task, instead of forcing Jesse's face back in place, the sitting male let his other hand crawl on top of the naked chest again. Wondering, exploring, no matter how much ignoring came, he _would_ pull that reaction out.

_“Gotta have it ready for ya,”_

The fiend practically purred, watching his own hand trail from one place to another, relishing himself into the flow of the feeling. Teasingly, he let his dick fall on top of the other – landing on the still-present pants, and roughly pressed against. Crotch to crotch, naked to clothed, _delighted_ to _embarrassed._ The widened smirk only grew, and a sickeningly pleased expression enveloped the top bluenette.

_“They’re cuddling,”_

Sadistic laughter left as soon as he said that, and all of that only expanded as it didn’t feel good only in that one amusing way. The pressure was continued, and the male found it rather convenient to keep the pace there – potentially feeling any arising reaction from beneath; furthering the stroking, nudging his body against, _grinding it off above._

And when his curious hand found its way across the exposed nipple, it almost _immediately_ went back. A tame brush over Jesse's neck, loosely mimicking the hold of a choking one, and back down it went, just where it was.

A light pinch, another caress back and forth, turning over his palm and grabbing it between two fingers to pull. It slipped far too easily, and they repeated the action a few more times, both orange eyes and his arousal savoring the little bud growing red from the gentle abuse.

_“Just get on with it already…!”_

A sudden rise of the shouting startled him a bit, the devious face going confused for a second. He looked back up at the lying man, meeting the turned expression now facing him – wielding so many emotion on it, raging from shame to fear and it all ended up being one big blushing mess.

All presented, just for _him._

And he smiled. Of course he did. How could he _not_ at that pitiful and begging face.

 _“Oh? You’re demanding me to hurry up and fuck you now?”_ A very realistic part of Jesse feared for the reaction, thinking his own denial would further his downfall, but instead, his copy only smiled back down at him with sparkling joy. _“Shoulda said so earlier!”_

Dropping everything to fulfill his request, the teen felt the bottom part of his clothes swiftly swooped down – as if his other didn’t _need_ any effort to just, remove his pants out of existence. Not _literally,_ but they went down far too fast for his liking.

At least the underwear didn’t too—

_“And off they go!”_

Swiped away with excitement like the rest. 

_“Oho, so you did enjoy it,_ ”

 _Not quite to the fullest,_ but they’d get there. The fiend glanced down and judged his handiwork by the limp half-arousal. There wasn’t a lot of effort put, but what was there – was there. And it had _some_ effect.

Not that he was willing to help further that.

_“Don’t worry, the pain’ll start feelin’ good,”_ After awhile at least. It always did, would. _“…but it always hurts the most at the beginning,”_

And at the end it gets better and just look at how _lovey-fucking-dovely_ he turned out to be! Having the very time of his life. 

With no more murmurs, only a last look at the saddened and worried male, Jesse’s copy took his cue of that beautiful and admiring face looking just about to cry, and forced himself inside. Mercilessly, cruelly, and _fully;_ until the very edge of the bluenette’s walls were felt, and the heat of being inside coarse throughout the foreign body, igniting flames unfelt for eons.

A low chuckling groan huffed through, and a tense hiccup in return, as the teen bared his best muscle and teeth to simply _relax._ Knowing that it would be easier, it would _hurt less;_ wouldn’t tear up his very insides if he just _soothed out_ the tightness practically clutching the intruder to devour.

No matter how uncomfortable and bad that felt to one — it was all the joys and wonders to the other. Having wet and sloppy heat trying to drown you in further, to _absorb_ you in it and have any last breath be choked on the lacking reign of movement, _space;_

_“Fuck…! You’re tight— fuck_ , _”_

It all felt as if that infamous quote stated many times by now was deemed true – echoing over and over in the young bluenette’s mind. Love was pain, pain was love. Love was pain.

_Love was pain._

And pain was love.

That’s why it hurt. That’s why it _always_ hurt so, so much.

Even when he moved. It _tore_ his flesh and skin, muscle and tissue, not an ounce of hesitancy more than that would come with the second, third, and many other thrusts.

 _“How does it feel?”_ A hand came up to the caress the cheek, finger wiping off the escaped tears no matter how hard those teal eyes tried to remain shut and endure discomfort. _“The pain’s good, ain’t it?”_

Some form of the sickened care was there — brushing away the bangs out of the face, losing itself in the wild hair locks, touching, petting.

Even giving attention down there.

_“Jus’ let yourself enjoy it,”_

A start, with the same roughness and preference as to his own, whether or not it was welcome. But he needed to move too. _He needed to move._

_“Because I sure as fuck will!”_

True to his own words;

It began.

_“--ahh-eh-! Wait-w- unkh—!”_

Regret dawned over every last decision; over _hurrying the other up_ thinking that would lessen the torture protocol. But there would be no waiting. Not a sound to be heard through the ears that went mute to anything but those begs. The melody of the overlapping flesh. Of the moist slaps and lewd thrusts. Of the crude and perverted crashes of pounding skin against one another — as vile as all the other things done by the fiend.

This one would be no different.

_‘Hold on’_ that was successfully muttered – unheard. Unspoken pleases that remained unvoiced; as when the aching teal eyes came to open;

They saw the absolute madness wielded. Ran on his own thirsty greed, in those horrifying moments of fantasy, nothing he, or anyone, could ever do or say, would pull the insanity-struck man.

So he wouldn’t say them. Wouldn’t _beg_ nor pray. Wouldn’t fight it. He would keep his voice, grit his teeth, and ground his body into the forced penetration.

He would close his eyes, put an arm over them, and let it happen.

_“Are you enjoying it??”_

Another maddening question, some sense returned enough to speak within the bizarre rhythm happening. _“Pain’s great, right?! RIGHT??”_

And the pumping sped up, too. But as a particular splash of rather wet sounds, and a low scream underneath, it caught enough attention for the fiend to slow and glance down, and only then, grin.

_“Think I found your lube,”_

But then, it was a little too late for that one. Though he wouldn’t just let it go to waste. Not when there was a perfectly attention-hungry dick in his hand.

_“Strawberry flavored, huh?”_

Those things weren’t usually _colored;_ but, well. Out of the smell and the red – the latter flavor was the thing it had.

Scooping up some of the induced blood around and beneath, out of all vague sensations, Jesse felt _something_ smeared on him too. No matter how much he didn’t want to look — didn’t want to _know –_ every sense and inside pulsation of pain told him the same of what it was.

And that only strengthened the shut of eyes to never reopen again.

But no matter what he did, how he reacted, his lookalike would only continue. A little slower than previous – forcing the pleasure actually _form_ from the stroking and share that sickened thought of pleasurable pain.

Among everything; the burning open wound, the throbbing muscle, the enveloping penetration trying to rip him open and apart further – reaching a point Jesse feared it would go through and beyond his stomach – underneath all of that, a familiar feeling of his own greedy satisfaction resurfaced.

Whether he wanted it or not, through all the discomfort his body _reacted._ Even his hips moved unknowingly up to thrust into the hand. Just a mild movement – that’s all he would allow. Nothing more. He couldn’t allow himself _relish_ in that one bit of joy among all the pain.

Couldn’t let that quote become true.

_“Look at you,_ wanting _this,”_

His copy spoke again, between the _slops_ and _slams,_ between the fastening thrusts and no response.

_“I said look!”_

It was only a matter of time, and the wrist was slapped away, anxious crying teal eyes pierced through and down.

_“Ah Jesse—nhn—why hide that beautiful face?”_ Having no need to keep the wrist pinned, the fiend lovingly teased his palm back, trailing a smoothing line over the skin until it relaxed at the chin. Without a source to lean his weight on, the pace slowed down a bit. _“I want to see you,”_

Using that momentary slowness, the bright expression and orange gaze smiled down, watching his own fingers part the open lips, thumb brushing over the bottom one, painting it the leftover red before making its way inside and having the tongue wash away all evidence of it.

_“Open wide and lick it clean!”_

Not offering much choice but to do that, the finger circled deeper, overlapping it over the tongue, nuzzling itself into it, moving it around so every part of it was felt wet. Those small droplets of the lascivious forming white, and all of that beautiful _red._ Diving at the back of the throat to hear the gag reflex begin and cry out, feeling the body wiggle to force it out, before granting that wish and withdrawing.

And it responded back, too. Not immediately, but they soon came to dancing together – holding hands, partners in the duet.

_“You’re gettin’ it!"_

As drool was soaked up and practically pulled in a line out and between the lips, the satisfied male took a moment to relish himself at the sight. The parted mouth, low breath, and another tear wiped away by the saliva-covered thumb.

_“We’ll get back to that,”_

Those words sounded almost a promise by the tone. But for now, his copy seemed to prefer resuming the absolute ravaging into him, aiming to watch his core fall apart and crumble. The very same one that made the lifeless eyes gain a change in expression, only to fall back into their previous state after – even worse than before.

Still, he let it. Let the slams continue, let the building orgasm slowly form in his dick.

_“That’s right… show that pretty face! I’m gonna_ ruin _it,”_

Let the large grin lose its own sadism in himself; — the beast maul its toy and bounce him up and down.

_“You need it. You need me,”_

The finger poked at the open injury again. 

_"You—_ mm _adore me, don’t you?”_

The thrusts hungrily ate away at him entirely.

_“… Jus’ how I adore you. Your tears, your—-a-hah— everything! It’s all mine!”_

That very same expression absorb and merge to become his own, no longer mirrors, but one. _Whole._

_“You make me so_ , **so** _happy,”_

And that lonely, pained face that drip sweat down to his lips, cheeks, _throat._

_“You love me, don’t you Jesse?”_

_“… I—ah…”_

He _what._

_“Say it! Say you do! I’ve done everything for you!”_

Let that hand set off precum and finally run him over the edge.

And he let that burning fluid coarse its way out into him. Onto the torn and sensitive walls, and set every massacred corner ablaze.

_“unnnhh! ahh!”_

A cry of agonizing torment that left as soon as the two met; his melting butchered insides inflamed by their savage recipient. 

_“You do. You came for me,”_ Voice neared, even through their shared gasps and afterglow, the other still held that playful intention. _“Got all dirtied, hmm?”_ A greedy lick went across his cheek, lapping up all the remains of tears, blood, and everything else clean.

 _“I don’t mind,”_ And he pulled back, just like that. Yet the weighted bluenette still lacked the energy for a proper reaction.

Still lied lifelessly with a slowly-calming breath and dull eyes.

_“Lemme dirty ya up too!”_

He moved, and a small wince followed, but the towering male paid that no attention other than a satisfied chuckle. Only when Jesse felt himself free of the large filling did some relaxation settle in. To simply untense and let his body muscle _breathe._ The fiend even let him; granting a moment of peace while his own perverse thoughts focused on a different task.

Taking a hold of his own pleased – albeit worn-out – self, fingers messily searched for some dripping white that didn’t get swallowed by the other. Some of it lingered around, but not enough for his own plan.

He tried tapping his dick off of the other's thigh, but not even that triggered anything.

Seems like he went all out.

_“Ah, fucking—_ come _on...!”_ Nothing, and the fiend pouted at himself, humming while he thought. _“I got it!”_

Maybe _he_ was all out and inside, but there was some perfectly usable semen splattered all over the teen’s abdomen. With a bit of shifting, he scooped it up —getting a quiet tickling sound as a reaction — and not forgetting the reddened flavor of top, mixed both red and white on top of his dick.

_“Perfect,”_

Now it was strawberry-vanilla and he couldn’t be prouder of his little popsicle. All that was left was the mouth that would lick it out of existence.

Not a hard one.

_“Jesseee,”_ Crawling around to reposition, green eyes found their vision turned to the black of the void again, though a hand soon moved his chin to the side. _“I got somethin’ for ya. Open up,”_

A flat view of not only a _limp_ arousal, but technically _his own_ as well; with a low sigh and a weary face, fully drained out of every hope and will to _fight,_ he followed the hinting hand that nudged him into opening the mouth.

_“Good… take it all in,”_

Not that the little confirmation was anything but giving options. Sooner than later, lips were parted and the same weight previously inside, went just as back in into another open gap — free to be set ownership of. His copy was intent on discovering every bit of his body to the very core, and using every hole in it as well.

_“Might wanna open wider there,”_

The fiend laughed lightly, feeling the numb mouth fall flat on his dick, and small bits of teeth press into the skin. Though the delicate and tickling tiny parts of pain were welcome and enjoyable, it wasn’t quite possible to _ruin that mouth_ as he panned.

_“Hold on, I’ll help you out,”_

Cupping the soft cheeks and pushing himself in accurately, the teen’s mouth soon came to be perfectly positioned – along with ready for what came next;

_“ ‘Course it fits! Now stay just like that,”_

The other sang, studying the lifeless gaze unmoving on its own – only responding to his own leading movements as he meddled with the face to fit the demands.

Or rather, only one demand.

_“And suck!”_

To thrust himself into the new wet cave that hadn’t had a chance to be scarred and colored by him. To ravage its own bits and parts until they were permanently marked with one’s own _brutality._ To make sure that none would ever prevail over _his_ mark – lest they actually succeed in stealing Jesse away from him. He would _love_ to see anyone try, but in the meantime;

 _“C’mon, c’mon, all of it,”_ The fiend lightly tapped the cheeks, positioning himself further in and softly pulling the open chin further down. _“Use your tongue,”_

He waited, and actually granting the other a moment to properly adjust his throat, was greeted with the demanded command. Among the mouth blowing hot air around his dick all around, the gentle breath went timid when the wetness came felt around, and the male hummed out a soft sound.

_“Thaaat’s it,”_

Slowly, he began thrusting a bit in return, mildly swinging himself back and forward into the touch. And the host of that accent-filled mouth welcomed him with a damp red carpet to walk upon. Sometimes below, other times curling from the sides, but the salute was ever-present; each time he pulled back, it followed him to the door and out, extending even outside of its own domain.

And did the magician look so very beautiful working his enchantment.

_“Yeah… nn,”_

Mouth open wide, tongue out – following him so, _so_ pleadingly. As if he just _wouldn’t_ come back.

 _“You can run that big mouth of yours later, it's got another job now,”_

The male smiled, almost feeling pity at the sight. One hand going into the blue locks and roughly messing them around, until a steady hold was clutched.

_“Mm, don’t choke now, we still haven’t kissed,”_

For a moment he leaned a bit down, back bent, hair falling, and simply loomed over the mirrored face soaked out of its existence.

_“I love you so much…!”_

Loved the _pain_ on the face. The complete and utter submission devoted just to _him._ The power-hungry young duelist who _needed_ his own will crushed, and came to him. All so appreciated, so mistaken in their first meeting; to think that he was at all that fault and _He_ was the one that would make it all better. _Make it all go away._

_“I was so wrong Anderson,”_

A slow thrust enraged again, delicate and careful, the held chunk of that blue hair in the grip stronger.

 _“I thought you weren’t_ good enough _for me! My love, my_ pain! _”_

But it sped up. He sped up. No longer concerned of anything but his own disarrayed emotions.

_“Yet you took it all… A good boy,”_

And a rougher thrust, forcing a choked gasp that gagged and had him enveloped in uncontrollable saliva.

_“Unlike that FUCK!”_

Rage swelled up again, but the fiend diverged its direction. Made all that fuel of anger go into his need to _destroy_ something.

Not that there was much of that to pick from.

_“But fuck him! Fuck him! You’re mine, and it’s just us and—ah-yeah-mm-us and--”_

Hatred strong, and the mouth holding him used and abused, hand gripping the clutched strands in a tight lock, dancing with the held preferred movement, until the teen was used for nothing more than a means of a hole.

_“…Fuck you’ll get me goin’ again like this...”_

He didn’t. He _wouldn’t –_ it was too soon. If he was let, had more time, then that wet pleasure would ultimately be his downfall. But the male was certain he could cling onto his sanity.

At least this once.

Thoughts growing too muffled by the pleasure, the fiend had his anger tamed into another feeling, and refocused all attention into grabbing his copy’s face — and losing himself in it.

_“Get it in there Jess!”_

Rougher and rougher, using the endless time’s moments to force himself deeper in the throat, even when the small area objected against – tried to force him out, he bypassed even the resisting tongue back if it got in the way; and the strengthless wetness was left with no choice but abide, or be ran over.

But unknowingly to the hunger-struck fiend, only one of those options were granted as the reaction was far too slow, and abuse far too vile to respond. The tongue retreated back, shoved aside and away, thrown at the side, and the large thickness had free reign to go down where its own path originated.

Down the throat.

“ _mmffhh_ — _khhhghhh_ \--!!”

Amidst the panic, orange eyes saw the pair of hands brought up to defile, slapping away at his thighs, _trying_ to push him out. But he grounded himself sternly, and no soon after pinned the resilient arms down.

_“You can talk big, you can take big too I’m sure - It’s your dick after all!”_

Though Jesse continued to struggle, no mercy was granted. Only lewd _slops_ and _tlaps_ induced by hitting away the ramping region against a sobbing face. The teen’s own grip weakly clutched his copy’s hands, shaking, trembling, and once more had the small tears fell from the weak and begging eyes; — filed by a mouthful.

_“Shh, I know,”_

Going by a pace worthy of sin, doing a cruel thrust to _stop_ inside, that smiling expression looked down; savoring every bit of drool managing to escape from the mouth as he kept the back of the teen’s head roughly glued forward into the face fuck.

_“Just a bit more,”_

In the grip, fingers gently petted around, trying to soothe his copy in the violation.

_“You did great,”_

Another compliment, and another coat of saliva shot back up by the throat, followed by an attempt to cough through the lacking space. All it came out as was a reflexive burst of a sound with some spit. Vomit dangerously loomed from the back of the throat.

_“…So, so good! So fucking beautiful Anderson!”_

A gentle pat, hair brushed out of the face before some more leftover head bumps came in the mouth to soak it all up, give Jesse what he oh-so gracefully _worked_ for, those little droplets of fluids that managed to escape and merge with the previous combination, and the fiend finally pulled himself out, not wanting to cross over his own limits too soon.

Though immediately as he did, letting go of all binds and holds, his copy fell into a coughing fit and wobbled on the ground, seemingly having the very life either taken out – or put back into him. Snot, drool, tears, cum and blood — it _all_ dripped down and his counterpart only scooped up a bit in his palm; playing with the sticky and disgusting mixture in-between two fingers, humming.

 _“Could’ve been worse y’know. You swallowed your own stuff, not mine,”_ Or rather, it was _more_ Jesse’s than his own, as that one was keen on staying in the _other_ hole. Surely there was a taste of himself in that ice cream too, but… _“…more or less,”_

It was a fun ride, even if the little event didn’t quite be on the same level as the last. There would be time for plenty of orgasms; especially when they had an _eternity_ of spending it together.

 _“Some of that stuff has gotta be nutritious!”_ As the teen slowly calmed his outburst of senses and retch, at the corner of green eyes was the other seen simply sitting down; arms behind, body leaned, and legs stretched out. _“And if not…”_ A smug chuckle _. “All you gotta do is ask,”_

But the joke was rather one-sided, and once the fiend turned his head back, orange eyes darted right back over Jesse, that same lifeless and drained look still present. No more color in it, no more _will._ As if his very soul was departing.

And, well, considering the circumstances, maybe it already had and was doing unspeakable things in the afterlife. But _other than that;_

_“You good?”_

Nothing. The coat swayed as it was taken off, and now left in his own black clothing, the teen’s dual mirror lay next to him. In all of that disgust and poison on the void floor - _he didn't care._ Not right now. Not when _they were together._

_“Mm, Jesse, look at me,”_

The tone was gentle, softer than usual, the viciousness in those eyes staring dully above. And though Jesse only paled, failing to oblige, there was no force to turn his face. He was left barely standing. Mental state – _conscious_ at the drift’s end.

But the greed was stronger. The absolute _need_ to tilt that chin only a little and have those emotionless eyes look at him.

_“I need you,”_

Moving up closer, his lookalike curled up near the mouth. The so abused and cut lips, having every scar of it still present.

_“I love you,”_

And the very ones that would _ever_ feel the gentleness of a man with no space in his heart for the word.

By none other than his own mutual pair. His very own.

Faint and quiet, a second’s notice of testing the act before they pressed themselves deep and rough onto his. With no permit, no authorization but his own special privilege saved for _no one_ else, the adamancy of his desire nudged and poked around his partner. Rubbing and running the upper lip, pulling and biting the bottom one, reversing the plays and inviting them over and over. Even when they remained shy — quiet, _dead,_ they were coated in affection and hunger;

In love.

_“Talk to me_ Jesse, _”_

So yearning of a response, a means to reciprocate, caressing them over each other with building breaths was making the fiend all the ever greedier. 

_"Say it,”_

More and more until the two unresponsive ones were peered open by a tongue. And it might’ve been just a flinch or an automatic response to give up fight, but that wounded pair slightly opened at that, too.

_“Tell me you love me,”_

With peppered tenderness all around that skin – albeit rough and forceful – the bruised cuts were licked and kissed all over, their owner not even having energy to wince at the aches.

_“ ‘Cause I want you,”_

Sliding through them and inside, whispers and truths repeated - lest they be lost in the passion.

_“I love you. I love you, fuck!”_

Meeting the numb and foreign – _so familiar_ tongue.

_“I do,”_

Thriving out his own hunger for it.

“ _So fucking much,_ ”

Lapping it up to coexist together, sharing the bittersweetness of the endless pain.

_“You love me too,”_

And finally, sparking up the last of the man’s energy to dance together. To offer it, offer _himself;_

Willingly.

“ _mmh_ - _Jesse-“_

Lip by lip, granting a short second of a fearful withdrawal to feel that hint of loneliness again; make sure it wasn’t all a fantasy of a nightmare and have his heart relish in momentary dread.

_“You do, I know it,"_

And curling them in a lock just as so. Running and rubbing over, tasting the air that kept both of that same body alive, coating the tasteless saliva between mutual walls until one was forced to swallow.

_“You fucking do…!”_

Out of convinced desperation and nothing else but that one single act; the one where Jesse Anderson finally broke and fell victim to his own despair, the nameless fiend — convinced himself.

Himself, and the other. All of it hidden in one consensual kiss.

_“No more fucking loneliness…!”_

Breaking apart, with nothing but a pair of teeth pulling away the lip skin – peeling a part off, hearing a soft cry escape.

“ _Ah,”_

Even all the rage quenched, at least in the moment. Enough to have some sensibility — or _none_ to mutter out a hollow and in the heat of the moment;

_“Sorry,”_

Still, as empty as it was heard, as empty it remained. His copy didn’t seem to respond, nor hear for that matter, only lulling himself away as emptiness and darkness seemed not too distant off. But before he was given a flat chance of that, there was a strong and rather heavy feeling making his way into him. Enveloping him. _Nearing._ Wanting and _claiming._

Pressing, forcing, nudging and nuzzling;

Cuddling.

_“I suppose it shoulda stayed that way...”_

Words vague, but ears listened. Even if tired green eyes stared at the black void wall, and his copy lay his chin rested on his shoulder – soft breath tickling the neck, an atmosphere unknown of the past.

_“For the two of us to be like_ them _,”_

The black arm warmers blending into the endless night, but Jesse felt a pair embrace him tightly; with far more fear, _vulnerability_ than ever before.

Fearful to let go.

_“But I thought all of that shit would be worth it…!”_

And they clutched harder, _trembled_ further at the memory.

_“I fucked up, I fucked up…! If I didn’t fuck up, we would’ve—”_

_‘Enough of the tears’,_ yet that single one managed to fall – soaked by the ripped cloth of the shirt.

_“…I’d have you earlier, ‘s all…”_

If both sanity and understanding were present. If his own _mentality_ wasn’t falling apart and succumbing away, maybe the sweet and kind teenager known as Jesse Anderson would understand. Maybe he would have sympathy and see the humanity of that walking madness;

Maybe even forgive.

But all of those were _maybe’s_ for a state that was no longer there. All of that was a matter for someone who wasn’t broken and abused beyond repair — and after everything that’s happened, to still have the will and the strength to fight;

He was no longer one of those.

_“But it’s fine! All in the past, who cares!”_

While the weary teal allowed themselves close and finally lay rest, their counterpart seemingly put on a lighthearted attitude and tone, pressing himself closer and hugging stronger, burying his face in the exposed neck seconds after planting a loving intended butterfly brush over the corner of the lips. A gentleness foreign to both; though to balance _that_ oddity, after it came another greedy, full, and brief kiss, quickly toned down.

_“None of that bullshit matters. Only you and I,”_

Voice practically sang a satisfying hum.

_“And our love_ ,”

A mockingbird to himself.

_“A happy ever-fucking-after for both of us!”_

And a dying breath of his own self-induced reality, letting the last of its light fall and die.

_“Because you love me!”_

Even when that small and functioning part that fought off against the Light’s influence whispered;

It whispered the dread that kept being devoured in the madness. A fear that screamed to mute ears, but would forever linger.

_“Don’t ya Jesse?!”_

As long as ‘ _Yubel’_ would exist, so would the suffering of doubt and mistrust.

_'Don’t you?’_


	7. Chapter 7

“Yeah, Jesse Anderson,”

“One moment sir,”

Again waiting. No matter his pace or the lines, the time spent _waiting_ seemed hollower than anything. And today, all of those gut feelings piled up worse than the rest. A strong and beating heartbeat ringing in his ears, the dread of unknown fears and lack of sleep whispering maddening thoughts that he refused acknowledge.

“Room thirty-four, third floor. Please be quiet during your visit,”

The brunette nodded and proceeded up with the paper in hands. Walking through the empty hallways with tension over each step, as if he was nearing something that was dying the closer he came.

Haunted by vivid imagery created by his own mind, red shoes put some speed in them, and with hasty steps, Jaden reached the very same door he was at before. Alone this time, with an anxious ringing and a gulp in his throat. At the corner of his eye, the winged duel spirit appeared, but he only blinked, and inhaled away the unease pinching at his skin — entering;

To find _nothing._

Same as it was before - empty. Connected to the machines with the bright, cheerful orbs closed, and the lighthearted happy voice mute for so long. The male sighed, murmuring out his best friend’s name in the process that seemed to be getting more desperate each time. But it wasn’t done. He had hope. Nothing changed, he was still alive and— 

“What the FUCK did I say about coming back?!”

The brunette jumped, startled at the shout spawning out of nowhere, only to look up at the said cause of the voice too. And when he saw that transparent ghostly copy hovering _above_ Jesse – as if he came out _straight_ out of him – the soft and wanting face quickly angered.

“This has gone far enough, let him go!”

The equal hatred, if not more, _all_ of the hatred and anger sprawling out to make his own face look pitiful. The ever-gentle seriousness in that brown could never match the burning passion and murderous intent in _his_ crazed orange.

“Oh, you fucking THINK I’m gonna let you talk back to ME about what’s rightfully—” Jesse’s evil form flew up, preparing to lunge at his target. “— _MINE!”_

A warning of instinct; the tension all along, and the feeling that lingered in the air, enveloped his thoughts, and haunted his every step with peering eyes served its use, and Jaden managed to react at the sudden assault that felt _real._ Real by the same selfish usage of Marcel. By _using_ the host’s very energy;

By sucking out the very last bit that kept Jesse alive.

Barely, so little, but it satisfied his hunger and greed enough to succumb into hatred, and destroy the one thing you love - to hurt the one thing you hate.

“I’ll kill you-- I’ll KILL YOU you shit!”

But despite the will and hatred, it wouldn’t be so easy. Not when Jaden didn’t fight alone.

“Calm down—” Hands went up to prevent the attack, and a shroud of blackness enveloped around the room and the teen himself; eyes signaling his darkness’ powers. “Y-“

Though that single moment was every opportunity of reaction the other _gave_ him. In fact, the block of his attack only made the flame of rage burn harder, and immediately he was aimed at another.

“Just fucking die!”

The black mist stirred at the impact.

“DIE!!”

And the brunette flinched again.

“You think _that’ll_ protect you?! I was THERE when you got those powers you prick!” 

And when the fiend stopped for a moment, glaring down the golden eyes, clawing away with a shaking fist at the void wall surrounding Jaden, his tone sunk lower.

“I’ll tear you _apart. Mark my words_ you ungrateful--“

The fiend neared as much as the blockage allowed him, practically planting and gluing his face on the barrier as teeth showed and grit.

_“Guess what._ I fucked him. I _fucked_ him and he LOVED it!”

A harsh slam into the empty wall, with clenched fists and a sturdy forehead. Pain and blood came, but the male didn’t even flinch. Only growled and groaned — pure bestial wrath and animalistic rage of the draconic creature.

“He did nothing to you!” The brunette swayed backwards some, forcing distance as the powers were felt being broken through. “This is between us!”

“Us??” The ghostly figure parted backwards too, sarcastic laughed escaping at the claim as his body language swayed round and around, violently, vehemently, without a point to aim that ferocity at. “You think _I_ want to do anything _but_ kill you?!”

“If you’d let me explain-“

And the madness returned.

“I don’t CARE for your _fucking explanations!!”_ Such a quick moment to accurately divide that murderous intent and; “…Shut up, shut up! Shut the FUCK UP and just DIE!”

Another attack thrown as the spirit made – _made_ his hand an existing reality to _claw_ and gauge out those bittersweet golden-brown eyes, and chew them out with a bloodbath through his mouth.

“- _ungh—_ Just wait _-_! _"_

But no matter the tries, words wouldn’t go through. Only a consistent pounding of a frenzy obsessing over destruction. And Jaden felt they were breaking through. Not yet, but they _wouldn’t_ stop until the very last of his defenses were broken and he was under the fiend’s mercy.

He _wouldn’t_ be either but;

Golden eyes darted backwards, behind the raging monster and towards the bed. In the distinct gaze was that pulsating line on the monitor speeding up. It wasn’t just all empty rage and emotion put into those punches; it was Jesse’s _own_ too. The soul, the _will._ Hanging on the verge of death most likely, and every action his copy did only fastened that process up.

He pulled out that energy _out_ of their soul — now glued together. And while the fiend definitely seemed to have an endless supply of it;

The body wasn’t his. And neither was the soul divination offering his attacks reality.

The one whose they were;

Was dying.

“Stop!!” Through the berate, Jaden yelled out. Loudly enough to startle some of the hospital security, and steps were heard nearing their room. “I’ll leave! Just stop!”

Forcing his knuckle stop at the breaking void, orange eyes glared down the other, huffing low inhales back in anger.

“I’ll leave. I… I won’t come back, I promise,”

Stating those words — stating he was _giving up_ on the very one he promised he wouldn’t.

He promised Jesse, every day and night, and he promised _himself._

Yet here he was;

“Just, I’m going, alright?”

Seemingly having caught the attention of the insane counterpart enough to lower the darkness and reach for the door, the male shot one last look over and behind his shoulder. First to the lying teen, and then to the hateful copy.

“I get it. I- I won’t… It's just you two. You don't want me around,"

If he left, Jesse would be okay.

He was the cause of it.

_He_ was killing him.

In the end, it really _was_ all _his_ fault. 

And just as the doorknob was starting to turn, Jaden pulled it.

“I’m going,”

Avoiding gazes with the security officer and passing back into the hallway. All the while – those large and shining eyes just watched. Silent and frowning, skepticism playing all around his face as long as he spoke, but when they came true and He _did_ leave;

He was left bland. Blank and empty, as if the feeling was still processing.

Even when the surveillance guard scooted around, checking for everything and at the corners of the room, the man was only given a look of disapproval when he neared Jesse, but remained far too oblivious to it.

He couldn’t _see._ Jaden was the exception – was the one who saw duel monster spirits.

Him, and, well...

“That’s right, fuck off,”

Taming from his own rage, Jesse’s copy followed the guard leave with a piercing gaze, being left only with his other again. Alone.

Finally, _finally._

“…Good…”

They should all leave. Learn their place. The boy was _his_ and **_his_** only _._

“Jesse,”

Tone sang.

“ _Jess,”_

Body neared.

“See? I told you I’d protect ya,”

Sitting down, ghostly leg on each side, a smiling face melting itself off of its mirror image.

“Be your _guardian,”_

Leaning down, gazing, tempting,

_crying._

“Wake up,”

Relishing the last of the moments felt. Not even blinking as those beautiful teal eyes opened ever-so lightly. And the falling droplets went through. On and beyond his messy face and through every reality that _wasn’t_ him. _  
  
  
_

“That’s right, wake up for me,”

And he listened. _He listened._

He always did; a precious one of a kind jewel to keep. The only one who ever did.

“There ya are,”

Lips tried, tried to touch, graze the other pair over, to _kiss_ \- simply feel once more, one last time, but all given was a ghostly caress over the other pair. He needed more than that. It wasn’t enough. But the tears also knew; — _fell_ for a reason. A bittersweet ending, yet the glowing orange noticed a barely, almost mild and nonexistent movement, but those soft hands with needles in their wrists moved. 

For the first time of the times, the mirrored warmth in the malicious eyes widened, and the spirit froze. Not out of fear or _pain,_ but an unfamiliar emotion that caused his heart beat louder than the silence.

“…In…the end…” Cheek. That’s what they were aiming at. Even when they went through, he could _swear_ he felt them. His own delusion stronger than accepting reality right now. “I-I… did… end up… lov- _uhn_ …loving… you…"

And just like that, those beaming cool sky-green eyes closed. Slowly and with a worn smile, they fully toned out as the half-lidded gaze embraced a home of permanent darkness. Even those hands landed back on the mattress with a silent sound, but the fiend muted it all. His own racing heart lost its echo when those words repeated in his ear.

_‘I love you’_ too, finally, spoken back to _him_. To _hear_ those words after eons of pain and suffering; to know that _he_ was deserving of them.

Not Yubel. Not the guardian dragon. Not that small little form with laughter and joy.

But him. He. The soul right now. The very _thought_ of this sentence. _He_ was loved back. For who he was, after so long of being somebody else. Of being what he wasn’t _meant_ to be. Of wearing that androgynous skin for so long, and that horrific draconic form of nightmares.

_He_ wasn’t either of those anymore. And he was loved for it, too.

The simple thought was enough to wear out even the mightiest, and if tears weren’t running down the face, there would be more than that.

“No, NO!”

Hands shoved and nudged, not even being able to feel, but he _didn’t care._

“You are NOT going to say that to me and fucking die, you hear?!”

With futile attempts, but he _knew._ Knew even before this.

“I won’t let you!! I’ll butcher you _far worse_ than this! You’ll be wishing you were _dead!”_

But those threats would finally be no more. They, too, would reach a level of being the empty ones.

“Fucker!! Wake up! I’ll— I’ll-!”

He would scream and shout and try and _try_ to go back into that soul and _hurt_ him more.

But there was no more soul to go into.

“AhhHHH-ahah---hAHA YOU THINK THIS IS **_OVER_ ,** DON’T YOU?!”

Insanity of its peak perfection.

“You WILL wake up. I will _not_ suffer an eternity again, nonono,”

He would.

“I won’t let you leave me. We were _MEANT_ to be one, _remember?!_ ”

With hands on the face and tears in the eyes.

“I _AM_ you! Dying won’t fucking save you!”

And the madness-induced eyes looking above.

“…Because I love you! And you love _me_ … _!_ ”

Where not even a whole lifetime of hearing those most needed words would save one from the endless millennia of torment.

A never-happy end with the lost meaning of what _could’ve_ been, last of it the long line and that dreadful _beeeep_ signaling its final strand. A swarm of men and women rushing in to try and do the impossible — be the _heroes;_ but what effort did that matter when the very same _hero_ gave up and left?

What effort would _any_ of that matter when _he_ knew the truth, _felt_ the moment’s happening, and cried out in a world where none could see his agony. Just as back then, here as well.

Fighting the world with bare-handed protests, yet it still somehow won. If not directly;

_Why again?! Why always!_

By taking what’s most precious to him. Again, and _again._ Forever and ever, as long as the unaging form would walk on earth.

An eternal embrace of a wandering silhouette from above would be the last gift given.

And it never felt good. Never would. It wasn’t a selfish thing. It was a shared pain that would linger and eat away, until every person in the story would have their own ending.

“Jesse….”

Because it wasn’t just an illusion; a _phase_ of living it out and waiting for miracles from a hero. It was _never_ that.

“…I’m so sorry buddy,”

It didn’t matter if you were a doctor or a hero to all people;

“…I think I messed up good this time…”

When you shed tears in a lonely room, sobbing over with regret; or when you were forever left to wander a world unknown to your existence. Or when you were simply a parent, waiting on the news —

all walked that path of loneliness.

“… Jesse…!” 

Because some people, would never reach that happy ending.


End file.
